Incorporating ibuprofen/arginine gel in bleaching protocols reduces risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity: Study

Brazil: The use of experimental desensitizing gel containing arginine and ibuprofen effectively lowers the risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity (TS) without compromising the bleaching efficacy, a recent randomized, triple-blind controlled trial published in the Journal of Dentistry has revealed.

“Clinicians may consider incorporation of desensitizing agents, such as the ibuprofen/arginine gel, into their bleaching protocols to enhance patient comfort and satisfaction,” the researchers suggest.

Tooth bleaching is one of the most common cosmetic procedures patients seek due to dissatisfaction with colour and tooth appearance. Despite the success of dental bleaching procedures, adverse effects such as bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity (TS) and gingival irritation are commonly observed. Among these, bleaching-induced TS is the most prevalent.

The application of anti-inflammatories as topical desensitizers before dental bleaching is an approach to lower bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity. Giovana Mongruel Gomes, University of Ponta Grossa Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, and colleagues compared the intensity and risk of TS and the colour change resulting from in-office dental bleaching after using an experimental desensitizing gel containing arginine and ibuprofen.

The trial included sixty-two participants with upper canine shades A2 or darker. They were randomly assigned to either the ibuprofen-arginine desensitizing group or the placebo group. The desensitizing gel was applied for 15 min before in-office bleaching with 35 % hydrogen peroxide gel for 50 min (2 sessions).

The researchers used visual (0–10) and numeric rating (0–5) scales to assess the absolute risk and intensity of TSt, and group comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon test, McNemar test, and paired Student t-test. The colour change was assessed using Vita Bleachedguide (ΔSGU), Vita Classical, and Vita EasyShade (ΔEab, ΔE00, and ΔWID) before and one month after the bleaching procedure. A paired t-test was used to perform group comparisons for colour change.

The study led to the following findings:

  • The odds ratio for TS was 0.14, meaning lower odds of TS for the desensitizing gel.
  • A lower intensity of TS was also observed for the experimental group up to 48 h after bleaching.
  • All colour evaluation tools demonstrated effective and similar whitening for both groups.

The findings showed that the topical application of ibuprofen in combination with arginine has demonstrated the ability to reduce the intensity and risk of tooth sensitivity while preserving the efficacy of the bleaching process.

“The topical application of ibuprofen/arginine on the in-office bleaching reduced risk and intensity of bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity,” the researchers wrote.

Reference:

Hortkoff, D., Da Silva, K. L., Farago, P. V., Gomes, J. C., Reis, A., & Gomes, G. M. (2024). Effect of topical application of ibuprofen/arginine on the in-office bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity: A randomized, triple-blind controlled trial. Journal of Dentistry, 142, 104875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2024.104875

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Parental smoking and childhood obesity link transcends socio-economic boundaries, reveals study

A study into parental smoking and childhood obesity has challenged previous notions by revealing that the links between the two are not confined to a specific socio-economic group.

The data shows a strong correlation between parents who smoke and their children’s consumption of high calorie unhealthy foods and drinks, across social classes.

Using longitudinal data on 5,000 Australian children collected over a 10-year period, the research found those living with parents who smoke, on average, eat less healthy, higher calorie food such as fruit juice, sausages, fries, snacks, full fat milk products, and soft drinks.

Lead researcher Dr Preety Srivastava said the findings are a reminder that obesity-which continues to be a leading public health concern globally-is an issue across all classes and social groups.

“Australia has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity among rich nations, with data indicating one in four Australian children are overweight or obese in 2017-18,” she said.

Poor taste leads to poor food choices

Preety Srivastava said it was important to understand that parental smoking had a greater potential impact than just the risks of passive smoke exposure. Another significant way that smoking affects children’s health is through parents’ role in modelling dietary behaviours to their kids.

“Previous studies show that compared to non-smokers, smokers have a higher preference for high energy and high fat foods due to the loss of taste sensitivity caused by nicotine and other chemicals found in cigarettes.

“In households where either or both parents smoke, children are exposed to more of these ‘high flavour’ foods possibly due to the altered taste preference of their parents.”

Smoking doesn’t discriminate

Although the bulk of evidence shows that low-socioeconomic families experience higher risks of obesity and smoking than other groups, the research found the link between parental smoking and childhood obesity to be prevalent across socio-economic classes.

“We separated the data into three socio-economic groups – lower, middle and upper – and found that all three equally demonstrated the link between parents who smoke and obesity in children.

“We did, however, find that mothers smoking behaviour could have a significantly greater negative impact on childhood obesity than fathers smoking behaviour.

“As they’re often the primary caregivers of their children and handle household tasks such the food shopping and cooking, it is possible that mothers who smoke have a more significant influence on their children’s diet.”

Breaking the chain

The implications of these findings are far-reaching and emphasise the need for targeted public health interventions to curb parental smoking and promoting healthier diets for children.

“Our findings underscore the need for tobacco control measures that help parents quit smoking or reduce their tobacco use as doing so can have positive spillover effects on family health behaviours, including dietary choices and physical activity.

“Obesity can have negative emotional and social impacts on children, such as low self-esteem and increased rates of being bullied and socially excluded with further adverse consequences on academic performance and long-term employment opportunities.

“It is important policymakers, healthcare professionals, educators and parents collaborate to address the root causes of childhood obesity.” 

Reference:

Srivastava, P., Trinh, TA., Hallam, K.T. et al. The links between parental smoking and childhood obesity: data of the longitudinal study of Australian children. BMC Public Health 24, 68 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17399-5.

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Researchers report first documented case of loperamide misuse linked with acute pancreatitis

USA: A recent article published in Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases reports the first documented case of loperamide misuse associated with acute pancreatitis.

Given loperamide’s mu agonism, Christopher A. Bouvette, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and colleagues suspected that supratherapeutic doses induce sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and predispose to pancreatitis.

Loperamide was originally listed as a Schedule II drug in 1977, since then, loperamide has been deregulated and became nonprescription in 1988. Loperamide misuse has mirrored the progression of America’s opioid epidemic, most frequently presenting with cardiac complications.

Epidemiologic studies have shown increasing reports of loperamide misuse for euphoria or as a methadone equal. Misuse dysregulates cardiac myocytes and is often manifested by ventricular dysrhythmias.

The case concerns a 32-year-old man with an extensive history of gastric and duodenal ulcers presented to an outside facility with a 4-month history of fluctuating abdominal pain. Six years previously, the patient had multiple emergent laparotomies and antrectomy with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy for penetrating duodenal ulcers related to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

Initially, he attributed current pain to his previous operations and dyspepsia, although 72 hours of 10/10 abdominal pain, weakness, and fatigue ultimately prompted presentation. He did not report recent abdominal trauma or instrumentation. His only active medication was scheduled omeprazole and as-needed acetaminophen. He reported no active alcohol, illicit drug use, or tobacco.

On arrival, the patient was normotensive and afebrile, and heart rates ranged from 45 to 55 beats/min. An electrocardiogram revealed transient episodes of asymptomatic bradycardia with a corrected QT interval of 577 milliseconds. Physical examination included midline abdominal wall surgical scars.

An abdominal/pelvic computed tomography scan revealed severe obstipation, acute pancreatitis, loculated peripancreatic/perigastric/left retroperitoneal fluid collections, and severe compression of the splenic vein with splenomegaly. The patient received supportive care for pancreatitis, including opioid analgesia and intravenous fluids.

There was a clinical improvement in the patient after endoscopic retrograde pancreatography. Autoimmune pancreatitis panel (IgG4) and genetic panel (CFTR, SPINK1, PRSS1, and CTRC) were sent and returned within normal limits. Upon further discussion with the patient, he disclosed taking up to 150 loperamide, 2 mg tablets, daily for the last 6 months.

It was suspected that these longstanding supratherapeutic loperamide doses may have led to sphincter Oddi dysfunction with resulting pancreatitis. Following stabilization, the patient was discharged to an inpatient substance misuse rehabilitation centre.

“We aim to provide an interesting hypothesis for this patient’s presentation,” the researchers wrote. “We hope to provide a heightened awareness of potential patterns of misuse.”

“Furthermore, in patients with a clinical picture of opioid misuse, evidence of ventricular dysregulation, and now perhaps pancreatitis, providers may have heightened suspicion for loperamide misuse,” they concluded.

Reference:

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7326/aimcc.2023.0874

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Risk-reducing mastectomy may lower breast cancer mortality, finds study

A study co-led by Professor Kelly Metcalfe of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and researchers at the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit at Women’s College Hospital, finds risk-reducing mastectomies (RRM) in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic variant, significantly reduces the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer and lowers the probability of death.

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, examined how RRM affects the rate of death of women with a pathogenic variant but no cancer diagnosis. To date, there has been only one other study published by researchers in the Netherlands that examines the impact of RRM on mortality and quantifies the benefits associated for women.

“The decision to have a risk reducing mastectomy is often difficult for a woman to make, and the more evidence we are able to provide them with when they are making that decision, the more informed their care plan will be,” says Metcalfe who is also a Senior Scientist with Women’s College Research Institute.

Women who have an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant, have an 80 per cent risk of developing breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. Research has shown that an RRM reduces the risk of breast cancer by 90 per cent, and in Canada, 30 per cent of women with a pathogenic variant opt for this surgery. It is, Metcalfe says, one of the most effective ways of preventing breast cancer in women with this risk profile.

Through a pseudo-randomized trial, Metcalfe, and her team, followed over 1600 participants from a registry of women with a pathogenic BRCA 1/2 variant from nine different countries over the course of six years, with half of the women having a risk-reducing mastectomy.

At the end of the trial, there were 20 incident breast cancers and two deaths in the group who opted for a RRM, and 100 incident breast cancers and seven deaths in the control group. RRM reduced the risk of breast cancer by 80 per cent, and the probability of dying of breast cancer 15 years after risk-reducing mastectomy was less than one per cent.

“Although there wasn’t a significant difference in deaths between the two groups in this study, we know that a risk reducing mastectomy significantly reduces the risk of ever developing breast cancer,” says Metcalfe.

Metcalfe points out that following these participants for an extended period would generate more evidence to assess the true mortality risk with precision and highlight the benefits associated with this type of surgery.

“Right now, we have good screening in place for breast cancer, including breast MRI, so surgery is only offered as an option, not a recommendation,” says Metcalfe. “But with more studies being conducted to assess women’s trajectory and risk factors following RRM, we will know whether these guidelines need to be changed in the future.”

Reference:

Metcalfe, K., Huzarski, T., Gronwald, J. et al. Risk-reducing mastectomy and breast cancer mortality in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant: an international analysis. Br J Cancer 130, 269–274 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-023-02503-8.

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Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy may improve symptoms among male patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Study

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) type III refers to unexplained chronic pelvic pain in men, often accompanied by irritative voiding symptoms and pain in the groin, genitalia, or perineum, without the presence of pyuria or bacteriuria.

According to a Research Article published in Prostate International, researchers concluded that Introducing extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) as a treatment option for male patients with Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) has proven effective in improving both their pain levels and overall quality of life. ESWT is a valuable addition to the existing treatment options for CPPS, demonstrating both safety and efficacy in clinical practice.
CPPS is a challenging condition that often necessitates multidisciplinary treatment. One of the treatment options is extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), but its effectiveness in CPPS is still debated. This study assessed ESWT’s safety and efficacy in male CPPS patients undergoing perineal treatment.
ESWT was administered to the perineum weekly for up to eight weeks. Evaluations were conducted using the International Index for Erectile Function, International Prostate Symptom Score, King’s Health Questionnaire, National Institutes of Health – Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, Visual Analogue Scale, Analgesic Questionnaire, and UPOINT phenotype system. These assessments were performed before and after treatment and at regular intervals during follow-up appointments up to 20 weeks.
Key findings from the study are:
  • Fourteen patients aged between 21 and 85 years were recruited.
  • Thirteen patients completed the study.
  • Researchers reported improvement in the Visual Analogue Scale pain score, Tenderness domain on UPOINT, King’s Health Questionnaire, and National Institutes of Health – Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index scores.
  • There was an improvement in the erectile function domain of the International Index for Erectile Function.
  • Lower urinary tract symptoms improved as assessed on the International Prostate Symptom Score.
  • No side effects were reported after treatment or during follow-up.
In conclusion, ESWT showed significant improvements in pain and quality of life in male CPPS patients; this non-invasive therapy is a safe and effective addition to the existing treatment options for CPPS, based on clinical evidence.
Study limitations include a lack of a control group, a small sample size and slow recruitment.
Reference:
Lee, K., Law, Y. X. T., Shen, L., Pek, X. W. G., Lim, Q., Tan, Y., Chia, J., & Li, M. (2023). Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy of the Perineum for male patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A Pilot Study. Prostate International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prnil.2023.11.001

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Bariatric surgery provides superior long-term treatment for type 2 diabetes in patients with obesity: JAMA

Research by Cleveland Clinic and three other U.S. medical centers has found that bariatric surgery provides better long-term control of blood glucose levels in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, compared with medical therapy.

Study participants who had bariatric surgery also experienced higher rates of complete diabetes remission up to 12 years after their surgical procedure.

In addition, participants who underwent bariatric surgery, also called metabolic or weight-loss surgery, were more likely to stop needing diabetes medications and had higher rates of diabetes remission up to 12 years post-surgery. Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. John Kirwan and Dr. Philip Schauer were among the lead investigators for the 12-year study, titled “Alliance of Randomized Trials of Medicine vs Metabolic Surgery in Type2 Diabetes,” or ARMMS-T2D.

The research has been published in JAMA.

Ali Aminian, M.D., a co-investigator of the ARMMS-T2D study and the director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute, said: “ARMMS-T2D provides the largest analysis with the longest follow-up in the setting of randomized clinical trial to compare bariatric surgery with medical therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in patients with obesity.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and approximately 90% of the diabetes cases in the USA are type 2 diabetes. The chronic condition happens when an individual has persistently high blood sugar levels. Without treatment, type 2 diabetes can cause various health problems, like heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

For the ARMMS-T2D, 262 eligible participants were enrolled between 2007 and 2013 and followed until 2022. The medical group included 96 participants and the surgical groups had 166 participants. Patients in the medical group received a variety of medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, including FDA-approved incretin/GLP-1 agonists. Those medications help lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. Bariatric surgery included gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and adjustable gastric banding. The average age was 50; 68% of the participants were female; and 67% were white. The average body mass index (BMI) was 36.4.

Researchers reported the change in blood sugar levels – measured in this study as HbA1c level – immediately after surgery up to 12 years. HbA1c is a standard laboratory test that reflects average blood sugar over the past three months. Between the surgical group and the medical therapy group, researchers noted a large difference in HbA1c of 1.4% at seven years and 1.1% at 12 years with bariatric surgery providing superior blood glucose control.

Researchers also looked at diabetes remission over time (defined in this study as a HbA1c level less than 6.5% without need for diabetes medications for at least 3 months). In the bariatric surgery group, 50.8% of the participants achieved remission of diabetes at one year, compared with 0.5% of participants in the medical group. At seven years, 18.2% of the participants in the bariatric surgery group still had remission of their diabetes.

Dr. Aminian said: “The magnitude of benefits of bariatric surgery is very large and durable. Patients with diabetes usually need more medications over time to control their blood glucose. However, a two-hour surgery could help many of them to control their diabetes without needing any medications, including insulin.”

• Study results showed that 40% of patients in the bariatric surgery group and only 4% of patients in the medical group were off diabetes medications at seven years.

• The use of insulin after bariatric surgery was also significantly lower (16%) than in the medical group (56%) at seven years.

• The use of incretin/GLP-1 agonist medications was greater in the medical group across all annual visits.

Researchers also looked at changes in weight over time. During the seven-year follow-up, researchers noted 19.9% weight loss in the surgical group, compared to 8.3% weight loss in the medical group. At 12 years, the bariatric surgery group continued to have superior weight loss (19.3%) compared to the medical group (10.8%).

In the bariatric surgery group, anemia, fractures, and gastrointestinal symptoms were more common. Dr. Aminian said it is important for patients to be treated by a multidisciplinary team, including nutrition specialists, so that the necessary vitamins and supplements can be recommended after bariatric surgery.

Bartolome Burguera, M.D., Ph.D., an endocrinologist and Chief of the Medical Specialty Institute at Cleveland Clinic, said: “Type 2 diabetes and obesity are chronic diseases that need long-term treatment. This study shows that bariatric surgery provides long-term benefits for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in many patients with obesity. We now have recently FDA-approved medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes – such as semaglutide and tirzepatide – but access to those medications needs to be improved. I think it’s important to discuss with our patients all the available treatment options for type 2 diabetes and obesity so that we can identify the best long-term therapy for each patient.”

During the ARMMS-T2D follow-up, 25% of the study participants that were in the medical group did not want to continue with that treatment and underwent bariatric surgery after a few years. Researchers accounted for that change in their analysis.

Reference:

Courcoulas AP, Patti ME, Hu B, et al. Long-Term Outcomes of Medical Management vs Bariatric Surgery in Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA. 2024;331(8):654–664. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.0318.

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Glenmark Gets CDSCO Panel Nod to Study ISB 2001 in Multiple Myeloma

New Delhi: The drug major Glenmark has got approval from the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) functional under the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to conduct the clinical study of the anticancer drug ISB 2001 in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

This came after the drug major Glenmark presented Phase 1 clinical study protocol No. ISB 2001-101 version 2.0 amendment 01 dated 07/April/2023. This study is a first-in-human, Phase 1, open-label study that will evaluate the safety and anti-myeloma activity of ISB 2001 in participants with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Healthy plasma cells help fight infections by making proteins called antibodies. Antibodies find and attack germs. In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells build up in the bone marrow.

ISB-2001 is under development for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The drug candidate is a tri-specific monoclonal antibody, which is being developed based on TREAT (Tri-specific engagement by antibodies based on T cell receptor) technology. It acts by targeting BCMA, CD3, and CD38 and it is being developed based on BEAT platform. It is administered through the parenteral route.

ISB 2001 is a triple-target antibody, meaning the therapy has three arms — each one reaching out and interacting with a different target. Those targets are CD38, BCMA, and CD3.

CD38 and BCMA are proteins highly present at the surface of myeloma cells, while CD3 is a cell surface molecule found in T-cells, a type of immune cell with cancer-killing abilities.

By simultaneously targeting two cancer-specific proteins and a T-cell protein, the treatment candidate is expected to redirect immune cells to CD38 effectively- and BCMA-positive myeloma cells, triggering a cancer-destroying attack.

At the recent SEC meeting for oncology held on the 7th and 8th of February 2023, the expert panel reviewed the Phase I clinical study protocol No. ISB 2001-101 version 2.0 amendment 01 dated 07/April/2023.

After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended a grant of permission to conduct the trial as presented by the firm.

Also Read:GSK gets CDSCO Panel Nod To study Anti-cancer Drug Belantamab mafodotin

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3 nurses filming reels in Hospital OT, suspended

Three nurses were dismissed from service for allegedly filming reels in the operation theatre of a Dau Kalyan Singh PG Institute and Research Centre in Raipur in Chhattisgarh and sharing them on social media.

The services of Pushpa Sahu, Tripti Dasar and Tej Kumari, who were daily wage staff nurses at Dau Kalyan Singh PG Institute and Research Centre Raipur, were terminated on February 23 after a complaint was received against them, said facility deputy superintendent Dr Hemant Sharma.

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Either Pay or don’t have internship: Supreme Court on medical colleges not paying stipend to MBBS interns

While considering the plea filed by medical students flagging the issue of non-payment of stipend, the Supreme Court recently noted that even after charging crores of rupees for the MBBS course, the medical colleges are not adequately paying stipends to the MBBS interns.

The top Court bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale expressed concerns at the complaints of MBBS interns in this regard. Justice Dhulia orally expressed his discontent over the stand of the medical colleges charging hefty fees on one hand and not being ready to pay stipend on the other.
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2 crore OPD tokens generated using ABHA-based scan and share service

New Delhi: The National Health Authority (NHA) yesterday achieved a significant milestone of 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.

Also Read:AB PM-JAY: 30 crore Ayushman Cards issued, With 4.8 crore Uttar Pradesh tops the list

The Scan and Share service is presently operational in over 3,860 healthcare facilities across 465 districts in 33 States and Union Territories of India. On an average, one lakh patients use the scan and share service daily and save time spent in the queues.

Leading the adoption journey are Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Jammu & Kashmir, with impressive statistics showcasing their commitment to leveraging technology for citizen welfare. 

The ABDM Public Dashboard (https://dashboard.abdm.gov.in/abdm/) provides insights into the service’s utilization, with notable usage recorded across AIIMS in Delhi, Bhopal, Raipur, and Bhubaneswar. Remarkably, 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 ABHA-based Scan and Share service, exemplifying their dedication to enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

Among all the OPD tokens generated using ABHA, 75% are done by first-time users, while 22% return for subsequent OPD visits after availing the token facility once, highlighting its widespread adoption and usefulness. The service usage data also gives an interesting fact that over 25% users are above the age of 45 years. This signifies that the service is simple to use and adds convenience to the routine OPD registrations.

Speaking on the importance of digital healthcare services, CEO, NHA said, “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 cutting down the waiting time significantly. It has ensured accuracy of data entry into the systems, enhancing efficiency and empowering healthcare providers with comprehensive patient information. By such innovation, we aim to create a healthcare system where every individual can instantly access their health records and take charge of their health journey.”

To drive further adoption of the Scan and Share service among hospitals and Digital Solution Companies (DSCs) providing technology to healthcare facilities, 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. More information about DHIS is accessible at https://abdm.gov.in/DHIS.

The NHA is also dedicated to leveraging technology to enhance patients’ access to healthcare services. The ‘Scan and Share’ service is now being implemented in pharmacies and plans are underway to extend it to diagnostic laboratory centres as well.

Additionally, upcoming services like ‘Scan and Send’ and ‘Scan and Pay’ will soon allow patients to conveniently scan a QR code at a facility (hospital or pharmacy) to send their health records, (including prescriptions or lab reports). Similarly, the patients will have the convenience of making payments for tests or medicines prescribed to them directly through their app, eliminating the need to wait in lines for payment at healthcare facilities.

Also Read:1.5 lakh patients get ABHA-based Scan and Share service at Noida’s DGCH hospital

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