Impact of the integrated information system on healthcare services
The integrated helpline system described above had a major impact on the management of the recent surge of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. This portal ensures that those who required hospitalization were given priority for evacuation, and those asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic were given necessary advice.
So far, up to 14th November 2021, Doc call 247 has attended to over 60,000 patients and over 30,000 SMSs via 1904. Out of the 60,000 calls received on Doc call 247, only around 1,300 patients needed urgent care and hospitalization. The waiting time based on system information was 1.5 - 2 minutes for the medical team to connect with a patient calling or sending a SMS. If the waiting time exceeded two minutes, the members of the Coordinating Committee would inform additional volunteers to join the system. During the peak of the surge, there was a 70% response rate for Doc call 247 service. A list of missed calls, if any, is taken every few hours and then transferred to 1904 system where a separate set of doctors would call the patients and assess them. The number of 247 calls responded to and emergency evacuations carried out via 1990 ambulance system over time is provided in figure 2a.
Through these services it was possible to operate an effective virtual triaging system and limit admissions only to those who needed urgent care. Within two weeks of commencement of the integrated service, an increase the number of available beds in both the government and private sector was observed. Figure 02b illustrates the reduction in hospital admissions, oxygen dependency, comorbidities and death count, following the introduction of the integrated helpline system. It also reduced the unnecessary exposure of healthcare workers to infected individuals, which in turn ensured that medical staff had lesser burdens while carrying out their duties.