In 2010, Gopesh Raghuvanshi, a visionary technology leader in the Indian IT industry, identified critical deficiencies within a leading global medical system’s processes. Recognizing this pivotal moment, he conceived a groundbreaking initiative for India: a transformative platform that seamlessly links patients to optimal medical facilities through advanced technology and global best practices. This innovative system empowers patients and healthcare providers alike by delivering precise health data, enabling proactive prevention strategies and superior treatment outcomes through comprehensive data analysis.
SPIRALS Health, a cutting-edge healthcare technology platform, harmonizes all ecosystem participants, including physicians, hospitals, labs, pharmaceuticals, and health insurers. Engineered to be agile, AI-driven, scalable, and modular, this platform is a pioneer in healthcare ecosystem integration. By 2016, Gopesh actualized his vision, meticulously designing and constructing SPIRALS Health under the aegis of Prudas Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Adhering to local and international standards, SPIRALS Health provides unmatched adaptability to address the distinct requirements of each user group in the country.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Gopesh Raghuvanshi, CEO of Prudas Technologies Pvt. Ltd., delves into his company’s groundbreaking platform and distinctive offerings. He emphasizes the robust data security measures integrated into their system, tackles the challenges of interoperability and seamless data exchange, and showcases the platform’s commitment to accessibility and affordability. Gopesh highlights how SPIRALS Health can revolutionize the healthcare technology landscape. Here are the key takeaways from his enlightening interview.
Q: Can you please provide an overview of SPIRALS Health and its primary mission in the digital healthcare space?
A: In 2010, we set out to revolutionize the medical industry with SPIRALS Health, aiming to eliminate the chaotic, ad-hoc processes that plagued patients and doctors. Back then, manual operations were predominant in the medical sector. Fast forward to 2016, our vision began to materialize, and SPIRALS was born—short for Systematic Patient Information, Records, and Appointment Library System. We had an ambitious goal: to seamlessly connect the entire medical fraternity, making life easier for patients and doctors alike. While most in the Healthcare-IT sector were oblivious to the necessary norms, policies, and regulatory compliances, we committed to designing a system that met global healthcare standards.
As we worked on developing a centralized patient information system, interlinking doctors, hospitals, chemists, labs, and more, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in 2018 a nationwide initiative. This initiative also aimed to digitize medical records, allowing patients to visit any healthcare provider without the burden of physical medical papers. This announcement was perfectly in sync with our vision.
Today, eight years later, SPIRALS Health stands steadfast to its original vision, now perfectly aligned with India’s national healthcare goals. We’ve forged an exclusive partnership with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in Jharkhand, backed by a five-year MOU, providing our expertise to streamline healthcare in the region. Furthermore, we’ve achieved the M1, M2, and M3 certifications from the National Health Authority, solidifying our commitment to transforming healthcare delivery.
Q: How does SPIRALS Health leverage technology to improve patient engagement and care outcomes? Could you share specific examples of your solutions in action?
A: SPIRALS Health merges the best of both worlds into one cutting-edge patient app. Fully compliant with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), it encapsulates all the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) App functionalities. Patients can log in effortlessly using their Government ID, personal mobile phone, or email ID. This app securely stores medical records and facilitates connections with both ABDM and non-ABDM doctors and facilities. In other words, patients can rest easy knowing their medical records are safe and accessible, regardless of the facility’s registration status.
Boasting over 60 powerful features, SPIRALS Health can tackle medical issues swiftly and efficiently. Furthermore, we’re on a mission to continually enhance this app, making it indispensable for everyone. Key features include emergency medical assistance, smart appointment management, and controlled medical profile access.
For instance, if a patient faces a medical emergency while traveling, they can quickly select a nearby medical facility based on their current location. The app will share the patient’s location and medical details with the facility, enabling immediate treatment. This feature ensures streamlined care, as the patient’s medical history is accessible, treating doctors can be contacted, and family members can be updated—all even if the patient is unconscious and visiting the facility for the first time.
Additionally, patients can book appointments and receive live updates on their turn status. The app provides an estimated travel time to reach the doctor, factoring in current traffic, and offers directions. Thanks to the AI-enabled status tracker, patients can wait at home or the office, avoiding unnecessary time in the clinic. Moreover, patients have full control over who can view their medical profile and records. Doctors can access a summary of the last 20-30 visits on a single page, ensuring 100% compliance with HIPAA, PHI, and PII standards.
And there’s more. We’re also continuously rolling out additional features and AI-driven functionalities. Picture a world where doctors no longer need to write or type prescriptions, enhancing efficiency and precision in patient care. Welcome to the future of healthcare with SPIRALS Health.
Q: Data security and patient privacy are paramount in healthcare. How does SPIRALS Health ensure the confidentiality and protection of patient information in your digital solutions?
A: Data security is paramount in the healthcare sector. Between 2016 and 2018, while most companies were busy touting their HIPAA certifications due to their HIPAA-compliant cloud providers, SPIRALS Health took a bold step. We educated doctors and patients about the critical importance of Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
Picture this: A patient visits a doctor, and their personal information is logged into a system built by a company that knows nothing about security. This data is easily accessible to the clinic coordinator, who can then misuse it. This unauthorized access is a blatant violation of PII.
Next, the doctor writes a prescription filled with sensitive personal and health details. Despite knowing the compliance requirements, the doctor has the prescription scanned by the clinic coordinator, who then shares it via WhatsApp. This practice sends medical information to non-medical personnel through a social media platform, breaching PHI, PII, and cross-border data storage policies. WhatsApp, not being a secure medical platform, stores this sensitive information on foreign servers, compounding the data breach.
The patient then goes to a chemist or lab using a non-compliant billing solution. Here, their information is once again compromised and shared with another company that has no obligation to protect medical and healthcare data privacy. This is yet another violation of PHI and PII regulations.
In every step of the healthcare process, data security norms are being violated. At SPIRALS Health, we’ve created a single platform for all healthcare facilities—doctors, chemists, labs, hospitals, and nursing homes. Our system ensures that data access is tightly controlled and restricted to authorized personnel only.
At SPIRALS Health, we enforce strict compliance with PHI, PII, cross-border data policies, and the regulatory requirements of the Government of India and HIPAA. We leave no room for data security breaches, safeguarding sensitive information at every level.
Q: Interoperability is a significant challenge in healthcare. How is SPIRALS Health addressing the issue of data exchange and integration among various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem?
A: SPIRALS Health stands proudly in lockstep with the National Health Authority’s interoperability milestones (M1, M2, and M3), delivering flawless interoperability for all ABDM-registered medical facilities. For non-ABDM facilities, SPIRALS Health offers a cutting-edge authorization-based data interoperability model that adheres strictly to all regulatory and medical standards. Here, the patient holds primary ownership of their medical records, while the prescribing doctor retains secondary ownership. This powerful system, underpinned by a meticulously crafted data flow matrix, has proven its unwavering reliability over the past 6-7 years.
Q: Healthcare disparities persist in many regions. How is SPIRALS Health working to ensure that your digital healthcare solutions are accessible and affordable to a wide range of patients and communities, including underserved populations?
A: Prudas Technologies Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of SPIRALS Health Solution, ensures broad accessibility through web and app platforms. Our solution serves a diverse array of healthcare stakeholders, including patients, doctors, clinic and hospital administrators, coordinators, nursing and billing staff, inventory managers, chemist shop owners and staff, lab owners and technicians, medicine delivery personnel, and sample collection teams.
Each app seamlessly supports English and local languages, with continuous updates to accommodate new regional dialects. Our commitment to accessibility is matched by our dedication to affordability. The Patient App offers a robust feature set at no cost, while our offerings for doctors and healthcare providers operate on a freemium model—essential features are free, with premium functionalities available for purchase.
This approach ensures our solutions empower every user across the healthcare spectrum, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive and effective healthcare delivery worldwide.
Q: What is the long-term vision for SPIRALS Health in the healthcare technology landscape? How do you see your company shaping the future of healthcare, and what are your key strategic priorities in achieving this vision?
A: SPIRALS Health is leading the charge to integrate all patients and medical professionals through a unified mobile application and platform, aligning closely with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and the National Health Authority (NHA). Our commitment is anchored in leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver advanced healthcare solutions in the most accessible manner to every citizen.
Simultaneously, as the Government of India streamlines healthcare regulations, SPIRALS Health is driving parallel efforts within the private sector. Our alignment with NHA and ABDM guidelines ensures active participation in shaping the nation’s evolving healthcare landscape.
Strategically, our approach focuses on establishing credibility through pivotal partnerships and rigorous certifications. Furthermore, we have entered into an exclusive 5-year partnership with ABDM Jharkhand and formed a strategic collaboration with the National Health Authority to extend our reach nationwide. Our commitment to quality is evident through our compliance with stringent NHA standards, including certification for milestones M1, M2, and M3. Additionally, we have forged a technical partnership to develop a Microsite in Agartala, Tripura, enhancing our operational capabilities. Moreover, our partnership with Accugene Hospitals in Jharkhand enables us to offer enhanced premium services, further strengthening our service offerings in the region.
Our geographical expansion strategy is both focused and aggressive. We have recently initiated operations in Ranchi, Jharkhand, beginning at Sadar Hospital with plans for further expansion into RIMS Ranchi. Our efforts include onboarding private hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, and healthcare professionals across Ranchi, all duly registered with ABDM and DHIS. Looking ahead, we are actively pursuing expansion into other districts within Jharkhand, paralleled by similar strategic initiatives in Hisar, Haryana. Additionally, our commitment to regional development is highlighted by a technical partnership for a Microsite in Tripura, reinforcing our dedication to expanding our footprint across diverse regions.
Our strategic roadmap outlines a robust and actionable plan for expansion. Firstly, we aim to establish operational models swiftly in Ranchi, Hisar, and Agartala within the next two months. Building on the success of these initial models in Jharkhand and Haryana, we plan to replicate them across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and the Northeastern states by the tenth month.
Additionally, we are introducing premium healthcare services tailored for elite patients and healthcare professionals in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. This initiative aims to enhance healthcare standards and accessibility in these regions.
Finally, our nationwide rollout is scheduled to commence from December 2024, supported by extensive partnerships forged across the country. This phased approach also underscores our commitment to scalable growth and sustainable impact across diverse geographical areas. SPIRALS Health remains unwavering in its mission to revolutionize nationwide healthcare accessibility and efficiency, ensuring seamless integration and superior medical outcomes for all stakeholders.
