Patients can now share their experience regarding medical facilities: A practical reader guide

Patients can now share their experience regarding medical facilities: A practical reader guide

Patients can now share their experience regarding medical facilities they avail under the Ayushman Bharat scheme via an AI-based platform and also make suggestions for improvement.

An effort is being made to make necessary action more effective by systematically analysing the feedback received through the AI voice bot. Through this platform, patients will be directly contacted over the phone to obtain information about their treatment and their experience at the hospital.

Archana Verma, CEO of SACHIS, said, “Patients’ direct experience is an important way to understand the quality of healthcare services. “The objective is not only to obtain feedback from patients, but also to analyse their responses with the help of technology and bring out information on which timely action can be taken,” Pathak added. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Sunday said ‘SACHIS’ (State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services), the nodal state health agency, is developing an AI-based voice bot for Ayushman cardholders and their attendants.

Under the plan, patients may also be asked whether they faced any difficulties during treatment, how the services available at the hospital were and how the hospital staff behaved with them. It will also be ascertained whether any unauthorised amount was charged from a patient or their family for treatment provided under the scheme. Information about how satisfied the patient is after the treatment will also be obtained through feedback. Verma explained that at present feedback is obtained from a limited number of patients through manual calls. This requires more time and human resources. A system is being developed using an AI voice bot to reach a large number of patients and collect their feedback.

In this way, the patient’s voice will reach the health department directly, making it easier to identify shortcomings based on their experience, said a press statement issued by the state government.