Digital health startups in India are changing the healthcare industry by using technology to improve patient care and expedite medical procedures. Accessibility, affordability, and efficiency in the delivery of healthcare are among the pressing concerns that these firms are tackling. They offer cutting-edge technologies including tele-medicine, digital health records, and AI-driven diagnostics to make healthcare more accessible and patient-centered.

1HAT distinguishes out above the rest, with its holistic health assistance. With personalized assistance for treatment adherence, secure digital records, standardized treatment protocols, and direct communication with your doctors, 1HAT ensures a seamless healthcare experience.

In an exclusive interview with CIO Insider magazine, Karthi Puru- shothaman, Co-Founder of 1HAT, discusses the organization’s offerings, future roadmap for the organization, and much more.

What is the inception story of 1HAT? De- scribe its brand persona & what it rep- resents.

1HAT was founded because of a personal challenge and a market gap we saw. My wife and I had to adjust to living in India again after 10 years of being in the USA with our three children. Our immediate need on banking and payments was fulfilled in a jiffy, given how that sector has digitally matured in India with UPI, online KYC, and more. Our next need was healthcare and related insurance. We had serious problems here. Although access to healthcare in India was simple and abundant compared to the US, the efficiency of the system – particularly the technology and procedures felt antiquated and seriously lacking in comparison to what we had encountered overseas.

It was difficult to handle multiple paper files, keep track of treatment protocols

or be clear on what to expect in changing medical conditions – all leading to either anxious calls and Whatsapp messages to doctors who had to be briefed on our context all over again or relying on unverified medical advice from the internet, friends, and family.

I was a Partner at Mckinsey until recently and through my experience working with clients and government institutions, I realized that although technology cannot completely transform conventional healthcare practices, it could certainly improve and streamline the patient's experience multifold. We therefore started 1HAT, which stands for One Health Assistant, to serve as a link between patients and medical providers - largely doctors.

required instead of waiting for follow-up appointments or for patients to contact them.

Tell us about a recent challenging case study reflecting the success of the compa- ny’s solutions that were deployed to draw positive outcomes.

Our recent case study highlights our success in addressing patient adoption issues in the OBGYN practice. Initially, patients were hesitant to divulge their treatment histories. To get around this, we gave them privacy guarantees and made it clear that their information would only be utilized for their treatment. Building trust and promoting data sharing were achieved by using the term 'help us help you,' and stressing that 'us' included their healthcare providers – specifically their own doctors.

We were able to increase patient preparedness to stick to protocols and attend follow-up appointments by making treatment plans pleasurable to follow by utilizing behavioral science. Our app's integration with well-known messaging services like Whatsapp made uptake even easier. It was essential to include doctors in the patient's experience because this led to high adoption rates and successful outcomes.

Briefly tell us about the workforce of the company responsible for its success.

We have a small team of 10. Despite being small, our crew is highly diversified and essential to our success. I started in technology before switching to management consulting in a variety of sectors and locations. We have a talented group of IIT graduates. Two physicians from the field of OBGYN and diabetology are also a part of our team. Apart from this, we have local analysts who offer crucial assistance and city-specific insights.

What is the role 1HAT Technology has en- visioned to take in the future?

As patients go through their treatment and recovery process, we want to be their go-to assistant. We hope to have large impact by utilizing cuttingedge technology such as artificial intelligence and behavioral science.

We also aim to raise adherence to treatment regimens from the present 50–60 percent rate to 90–100 percent to improve patient outcomes and save healthcare expenditures. We want to be a vital tool for physicians in their effective management of patient care.