India's first integrated mobility platform is here

Health-tech startup mCURA on Wednesday introduced India's first integrated mobility platform, 'Smart OPD', which ensures minimum counter visits, calculates wait time at each counter and provides e-prescriptions.

The long multiple queues, overcrowding and waiting time at hospital OPDs and clinics lead to patient frustration and discomfort.

To resolve these issues, the healthcare sector has realized the need for technology which can smoothen the workflow at the hospital OPDs and clinics, offering a comfortable visit to patients.

'Smart OPD' enables patients to bypass long queues at registration and billing counters, labs, pharmacies and doctor chambers, completely eliminating the necessity of spending valuable time waiting at the hospitals.

"Labs, pharmacy, doctors and even patients are integrated fully into the IT Infrastructure through mobile devices. This helps facilitate faster filling of a prescription, reduction in a misreading of doctors' handwriting, lowered waiting time for test results and automatic medicine intake reminders to patients. By automating everything, redundancy can be avoided and manpower can be optimized", said founder and President, mCURA, Madhubala Radhakrishnan.

"This technology will also help the patients who need a family member to take care of them at the billing counters, labs and pharmacy. This will help and ensure smooth entry, consultation and exit of the aged persons as there is no need for cash management at the billing counters. The patient only needs to carry the 'Smart OPD' card to experience the smooth flow at the hospitals and clinics," Radhakrishnan added.

At the registration counter, patients are given Near-field communication (NFC) based "Tap and Pay" card (registration plus cash card) and are prompted to download the patient app, which stores all medical records, medical bills/payment transactions, and also has a real-time token broadcaster.

For non-smart phone users, the "Tap and Pay" card has the capability to access records, bills, payments, and book appointments from the tabs or devices installed outside every doctor's chambers and at all investigation counters.

The patients can use their "Tap and Pay" cash card to pay for hospital services easily without waiting in any queue from any of these counters.