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New Delhi, August 3, 2024 — The National Health Authority (NHA) has marked a significant achievement in the digitization of healthcare services, with the successful generation of over 4 Crore tokens for Out-Patient Department (OPD) registrations via the ABHA-based Scan and Share service. This milestone underscores the growing impact of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) since the service’s inception in October 2022.
The Scan and Share service, part of the ABDM initiative, has redefined the patient experience by enabling seamless, paperless OPD registrations. Patients can now avoid lengthy waits by simply scanning a QR code at the OPD registration counter and instantly sharing their ABHA profile for registration. This system has been particularly beneficial for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, pregnant women, and those with mobility issues.
Currently, the service operates across more than 8,270 healthcare facilities in 579 districts across 35 States and Union Territories of India. On average, 2.2 Lakh individuals utilize this service daily, reflecting its widespread acceptance and utility. The 8,270 facilities include 5,875 public and 2,845 private healthcare institutions.
States leading the adoption of this digital service are Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Jammu & Kashmir. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 1.11 Crore tokens issued, followed by Andhra Pradesh (70.35 lakh tokens), Karnataka (46.61 lakh tokens), and Jammu & Kashmir (41.81 lakh tokens).
The ABDM Public Dashboard highlights notable usage patterns, with significant activity recorded at AIIMS in Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, and Raipur. Sixteen hospitals from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir stand out as top performers in generating OPD tokens through the Scan and Share service, showcasing their commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency.
Government hospitals, including AIIMS in New Delhi, have demonstrated exceptional performance with 18.3 lakh tokens issued. Other prominent facilities include those in Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, and Raipur, with 7.9 lakh, 6.1 lakh, and 5.7 lakh tokens issued, respectively.
NHA CEO emphasized the transformative nature of the Scan and Share service: “This feature under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is revolutionizing patient interactions with healthcare services in India. By enabling easy scanning for OPD registration and secure digital sharing of medical documents, we enhance healthcare delivery, ensure data security, and advance our goal of a connected digital health ecosystem.”
The service has seen significant uptake, with approximately 76% of token generations by first-time users and 24% by repeat users, indicating its broad acceptance.
To further promote the adoption of the Scan and Share service, NHA offers financial incentives through the ABDM’s Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS), supporting both Scan and Share transactions and the generation of electronic health records. Detailed information on DHIS can be found at ABDM DHIS.
Looking ahead, NHA plans to extend the Scan and Share service to pharmacy counters in public hospitals and introduce new features such as ‘Scan and Send’ and ‘Scan and Pay.’ These upcoming services will enable patients to make payments for tests or medicines through their app and conveniently send health records by scanning a QR code, further enhancing the efficiency and convenience of healthcare services.
For more details on the ABDM initiative and the Scan and Share service, visit the ABDM Public Dashboard.
