NMC promotes digital tracking of patient visits in medical colleges and hospitals

NEW DELHI: As the National Medical Commission (NMC) works towards digitizing health records of patients in medical college hospitals, the regulator may soon be able to verify the actual number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries receiving treatment in these institutions, thereby eliminating false and erroneous entries in the records. In addition to improving patient record systems, NMC’s efforts will ultimately allow physicians at these facilities to access patients’ medical histories, allowing for seamless care.In a directive aimed at strengthening oversight of medical education and improving patient record systems, the NMC has asked all medical colleges to connect the digital systems of their affiliated hospitals with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) within 15 days.The order requires hospitals to integrate their health management information systems (HMIS) with the ABDM-HMIS portal maintained by the National Health Service, thereby digitally capturing hospital registration and services and linking to the national platform.Officials said the move could resolve a long-standing challenge in medical school oversight — verifying the actual number of patients at teaching hospitals. “One of the issues we face is that sometimes fake patients are created on paper. Once everything becomes digital, it will help solve this problem,” said an NMC official.Institutions often claim that specific government schemes, such as PMJAY, bring a certain number of patients to their hospitals, but regulators don’t always have reliable data to verify these numbers.“A lot of things were mentioned in the disclosure, but there was no clear record. When systems are digitized, we at least have actual data. “The official said.The Medical College Hospital is one of the busiest public health facilities in the country and a major training site for future doctors. Patient volume and hospital services are key parameters used by regulators when evaluating medical schools.Officials say digitization will allow the board to more accurately track hospital performance, rather than relying solely on reported patient counts.The move will also support efforts to establish a national medical records framework by integrating with NHA’s PM-JAY (Ayushman Portal) to digitally capture treatment details and physician information. “If the patient is treated by a doctor, later we will be able to see which doctor treated the patient and get those details,” the official said.In the longer term, if hospitals across the country become digitally connected, doctors may also be able to view records of patients’ previous treatments, making it easier to understand medical history and provide better care.However, officials warn that national integration will take time. Health is very much a national subject and hospitals operate under different management systems, meaning digital connectivity will gradually expand.“Everything will not be connected immediately. Integration will happen gradually,” the official said.Medical schools across the country are required to complete the integration work within 15 days from the date of notification.