Accurate Diagnosis in Healthcare

The process of diagnosing health disorders involves a comprehensive approach, including a thorough medical history, clinical examination, and laboratory tests. These steps ensure the correct identification of the disorder and guide appropriate therapeutic interventions.

Importance of Diagnostic Tests

• Lack of access to diagnostic tests can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, impacting treatment effectiveness.
• Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims to provide extensive service coverage and financial protection, a commitment from India under the National Health Policy 2017 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Outpatient Care and Financial Protection

• Outpatient care constitutes over 60% of out-of-pocket expenses, covering drugs, diagnostics, and transport.
• Current health insurance policies primarily cover expenses during hospitalization, not outpatient diagnostics.

Role of Public and Private Sectors

• Public healthcare lacks reliable diagnostic facilities, limiting service coverage and financial protection.
• The private sector offers comprehensive diagnostics but is not easily accessible for the urban poor or rural populations.

Improving Diagnostic Services

• To achieve UHC objectives, diagnostics should be available near homes, such as at Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs and Primary Health Centres.
• Consideration should be given to evolving health priorities like non-communicable diseases alongside infectious diseases.

Advances in Diagnostic Technologies

• Modern medicine has seen significant advances in molecular diagnostics and imaging, applicable even in primary care.
• Tele-diagnostics are bridging gaps between primary care and advanced healthcare facilities.

Cost-effectiveness in Diagnostics

• Cost-effectiveness is crucial when selecting diagnostic tests, balancing technical advancement with practical benefits.
• Diagnostic algorithms should guide test implementation, supported by evidence-based guidelines from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

National List of Essential Diagnostics (NLED)

• ICMR's revised NLED considers epidemiological and technological changes to enhance primary care diagnostics.
• New recommendations include tests for diabetes, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, hepatitis B, and syphilis at sub-centers and PHCs.

Addressing TB and Emerging Health Priorities

• ICMR suggests molecular TB testing starting from sub-centres, addressing India's high TB burden with improved diagnostics.
• Molecular diagnostics, crucial in TB management, gained significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Training and Capacity Building

• Increasing technical capacity in diagnostics involves training laboratory technicians and enabling frontline workers for point-of-care testing.
• Understanding test result probabilities is crucial for accurate diagnosis, where AI could potentially assist.