A systematic review of standard treatment guidelines in India

Perceptions of healthcare workers and patients on the implementation of telemedicine in hard-to-reach areas: A qualitative study from rajasthan, India

Objective

To explore the perceptions of healthcare providers and patients regarding the implementation of telemedicine in hard-to-reach areas of Rajasthan, India, and identify factors influencing its adoption and effectiveness.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted using 24 in-depth interviews with healthcare providers from primary health centres and a district hospital, as well as patients from remote areas in Balotra district of Rajasthan. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes related to the acceptance, benefits, challenges, and recommendations for telemedicine adoption.

Results

The acceptance of telemedicine increased, driven by cultural norms, trust, and familiarity with technology. It improved efficiency, reduced travel costs, and enhanced disease management. However, poor internet connectivity, inadequate training, and low digital literacy posed challenges. Participants emphasized the need for user-friendly systems, better infrastructure, and continuous training to improve adoption in remote areas.

Conclusion

Telemedicine can potentially transform healthcare access in remote regions of India, reducing healthcare inequities and improving health outcomes. However, addressing technical, infrastructural, and literacy challenges is essential for its successful implementation.

Evaluation of prescriptions from tertiary care hospitals across India for deviations from treatment guidelines & their potential consequences

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES

Irrational prescribing practices have major consequences on patient safety and also increase the economic burden. Real-life examples of impact of irrational prescription have potential to improve prescribing practices. In this context, the present study aimed to capture and evaluate the prevalence of deviations from treatment guidelines in the prescriptions, potential consequence/s of the deviations and corrective actions recommended by clinicians.

METHODS

It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the outpatient departments of tertiary care hospitals in India wherein the 13 Indian Council of Medical Research Rational Use of Medicines Centres are located. Prescriptions not compliant with the standard treatment guidelines and incomplete prescriptions with respect to formulation, dose, duration and frequency were labelled as 'prescriptions having deviations'. A deviation that could result in a drug interaction, lack of response, increased cost, preventable adverse drug reaction (ADR) and/or antimicrobial resistance was labelled as an 'unacceptable deviation'.

RESULTS

Against all the prescriptions assessed, about one tenth of them (475/4838; 9.8%) had unacceptable deviations. However, in 2667/4838 (55.1%) prescriptions, the clinicians had adhered to the treatment guidelines. Two thousand one hundred and seventy-one prescriptions had deviations, of which 475 (21.9%) had unacceptable deviations with pantoprazole (n=54), rabeprazole+domperidone (n=35) and oral enzyme preparations (n=24) as the most frequently prescribed drugs and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and hypertension as most common diseases with unacceptable deviations. The potential consequences of deviations were increase in cost (n=301), ADRs (n=254), drug interactions (n=81), lack of therapeutic response (n=77) and antimicrobial resistance (n=72). Major corrective actions proposed for consideration were issuance of an administrative order (n=196) and conducting online training programme (n=108).

INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS

The overall prevalence of deviations found was 45 per cent of which unacceptable deviations was estimated to be 9.8 per cent. To minimize the deviations, clinicians recommended online training on rational prescribing and administrative directives as potential interventions.

Developing Standard Treatment Workflows-way to universal healthcare in India

Primary healthcare caters to nearly 70% of the population in India and provides treatment for approximately 80-90% of common conditions. To achieve universal health coverage (UHC), the Indian healthcare system is gearing up by initiating several schemes such as National Health Protection Scheme, Ayushman Bharat, Nutrition Supplementation Schemes, and Inderdhanush Schemes. The healthcare delivery system is facing challenges such as irrational use of medicines, over- and under-diagnosis, high out-of-pocket expenditure, lack of targeted attention to preventive and promotive health services, and poor referral mechanisms. Healthcare providers are unable to keep pace with the volume of growing new scientific evidence and rising healthcare costs as the literature is not published at the same pace. In addition, there is a lack of common standard treatment guidelines, workflows, and reference manuals from the Government of India. Indian Council of Medical Research in collaboration with the National Health Authority, Govt. of India, and the WHO India country office has developed Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs) with the objective to be utilized at various levels of healthcare starting from primary to tertiary level care. A systematic approach was adopted to formulate the STWs. An advisory committee was constituted for planning and oversight of the process. Specialty experts' group for each specialty comprised of clinicians working at government and private medical colleges and hospitals. The expert groups prioritized the topics through extensive literature searches and meeting with different stakeholders. Then, the contents of each STW were finalized in the form of single-pager infographics. These STWs were further reviewed by an editorial committee before publication. Presently, 125 STWs pertaining to 23 specialties have been developed. It needs to be ensured that STWs are implemented effectively at all levels and ensure quality healthcare at an affordable cost as part of UHC.

Attributes of Standard Treatment Guidelines in Clinical Settings and Public Health Facilities in India

Background

Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) are time-tested tool to improve healthcare quality and patient safety. This study was done to review the available guidelines and assess their essential attributes using AGREE reporting checklist 2016.

Methods

Publications from PubMed, World Health Organization, Global Health Regional Libraries, Index Medicus, Google, Google Scholar, and insurers, state/central government portals were searched.

Results

In total, 241 STGs met the inclusion criteria. A range of developers with a varying focus and priorities developed these guidelines (government mostly under national programs 134 (56%); professional associations 67 (28%), academic/research institutions 36 (15%); international agencies 4 [2%]). The government-led guidelines focused on program operations (mainly infections, maternal, and childcare), whereas insurers focused on surgical procedures for protection against fraudulent intentions for claims. The available STGs varied largely in terms of development process rigor, end-user involvement, updation, applicability, etc.; 12% guidelines developed documented GRADE criteria for evidence. Most guidelines focused on the primary care, and only 27 and 7% included treatment at tertiary and secondary levels, respectively, focused on general practitioners.

Conclusion

There is a need for coordinated, and collaborative efforts to generate evidence-based guidelines, facilitate periodic revisions, standardized development process, and the standards for monitoring embedded in the guidelines. A single designated authority for the standard treatment guidelines development and a central web-based repository with free access for clinicians/users will ensure wide access to quality guidelines enhancing acceptance and stewardship.