The healthscape never had it so easy before. Thanks to the modern diagnostic services equipped with latest technology, the medical fraternity has every reason to smile. The state-of-the-art diagnostic centers have done more than just providing high end diagnostic solutions making recuperation easy, quick, hassle-free and accurate. Ranging from basic pathological investigations to refined imaging, the diagnostic centers offer a gamut of healthcare solutions. The advantages of such services are manifold and undeniable. Diagnostic services are presently in the nascent stage in India. This industry has its own share of limitationsfrom being organized to running on professionalism, it has a long way to go. The present paper discusses the features, benefits, contributions and grave areas of diagnostic services, and proposes performance-oriented strategies to turn them into strategic business units.
Modern
lifestyle of urbanites and their desire to remain healthy,
happy and young make them highly concerned about issues
related to their health and wellness. Growing complexities
of life and the ever-increasing work pressures are resulting
in more stress. It makes an individual highly vulnerable
to health problems. As the old saying goes, "Prevention
is better than cure"; an early diagnosis of any health
problem may not only help in effective treatment, but also
in preventing the aggravation of the disease. Before it
becomes fatal, the right diagnosis at the right time acts
as a boon to the patients.
The
diagnostic industry is categorized into two segments. The
first category deals with the manufacturing of equipments,
kits and reagents related to diagnosis, whereas the second
deals with providing diagnostic services and solutions.
The present paper focuses on major issues of the latter
segment. As per the industry statistics, the Indian diagnostic
industry is all geared up for a major boom. The $500 mn
domestic pathology industry, growing at an estimated Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20% per annum over the last
five years, is on the verge of a major boom. There are about
40,000 independent path-labs in the country and around 70%
of treatment decisions in the country are based on lab results
(Sayeed, 2005).
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