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New Delhi, India – February 28, 2024
The National Health Authority (NHA) of India has achieved a significant milestone by generating over 2 Crore tokens for Out-Patient-Department (OPD) registrations through the ABHA-based Scan and Share service. Launched under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in October 2022, this innovative paperless service has revolutionized the patient experience, particularly benefiting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with mobility challenges, by eliminating the need to wait in long queues for appointments.
The ABHA-based Scan and Share service enables patients to conveniently register for OPD appointments by scanning a QR code displayed at the OPD registration counter, thereby instantaneously sharing their ABHA profile for registration.
Operational in over 3,860 healthcare facilities across 465 districts in 33 States and Union Territories of India, the Scan and Share service has become a vital tool in healthcare accessibility. On average, one lakh patients use the service daily, significantly reducing the time spent in queues.
States such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Jammu & Kashmir are leading the adoption journey, showcasing their commitment to leveraging technology for citizen welfare. The ABDM Public Dashboard provides insights into the service’s utilization, with notable usage recorded across prominent healthcare facilities.
Notably, sixteen hospitals from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir feature prominently in the top-performing facilities for the overall number of OPD tokens generated using the ABHA-based Scan and Share service, demonstrating their dedication to enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency.
Of all the OPD tokens generated using ABHA, 75% are by first-time users, while 22% return for subsequent OPD visits after availing the token facility once, highlighting its widespread adoption and usefulness. Moreover, over 25% of users are above the age of 45 years, indicating the service’s simplicity and convenience.
CEO of NHA emphasized the importance of digital healthcare services, stating, “ABDM leverages digital technology to provide accessible and high-quality healthcare for all citizens of India. The Scan and Share facility is one such initiative through which ABDM promotes seamless patient registration by significantly cutting down waiting times.”
To further drive adoption, NHA offers financial incentives through the ABDM’s Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) for ‘Scan and Share’ transactions and the generation of electronic health records.
The NHA is also dedicated to expanding the use of technology in healthcare services, with plans to implement the ‘Scan and Share’ service in pharmacies and diagnostic laboratory centers. Additionally, upcoming services like ‘Scan and Send’ and ‘Scan and Pay’ aim to further enhance patient convenience by allowing them to send health records and make payments directly through their app, eliminating the need to wait in lines at healthcare facilities.
The milestone achieved underscores India’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency for all citizens.
