News & Events

NABH successfully Organizes Patient Safety Conference on World Patient Safety Day: Improving Diagnosis for Safer Patient Care

On September 17, 2024, healthcare professionals worldwide came together to observe World Patient Safety Day under the theme, “Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety”, with the impactful slogan, “Get it right, make it safe!”

In alignment with this global effort, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) hosted the NABH Patient Safety Conference 2024 (NPSC). This event brought together experts, clinicians, and industry leaders to discuss patient safety and explore cutting-edge solutions for safer healthcare.

A highlight of the conference was the unveiling of new NABH Digital Health Standards and HIS/EMR Accreditation Standards by Shri. Rizwan Koita, Chairperson of NABH and Director of the Koita Foundation. These standards are a critical step toward enhancing healthcare delivery through technological advancements, particularly in cancer care and other specialties.

Dr. Atul Mohan Kochhar, CEO of NABH, echoed the sentiment of improving patient safety as an ongoing priority, stating: "These new standards signify NABH's commitment to fostering innovation while upholding quality and safety in healthcare."

Several other initiatives were announced during the conference:

• The E-Mitra Chatbot, an AI-powered tool available on WhatsApp, which helps healthcare organizations streamline the accreditation process.
• The launch of Mitra Physical Centres to assist smaller hospitals in Tier 2/3 cities and rural regions in achieving NABH certification.
• E-skilling Modules, offering interactive training for healthcare management, with digital certificates upon completion.
• An Architect Empanelment Program to ensure healthcare infrastructure meets NABH safety standards.

At Koita Center for Digital Oncology (KCDO), we believe that keeping patients at the center of innovations is the key to successful solution building. While NABH aligns itself with the World Health Organization’s Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, we at KCDO are inspired to ask a few important questions:

• As a digital health vendor, how can your solutions be made safer for patients?
• As a healthcare provider, how can you deliver care more safely?
• As a patient, how can you ensure your rights to safe and transparent healthcare services?

This World Patient Safety Day, let us all take a step toward making healthcare safer for everyone.

Karnatak Cancer Therapy and Research Institute (KCTRI) - Another Hospital Goes Live with HMIS and EMR

The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, with digital transformation playing an important role in enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. The successful go-live of the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) at Karnatak Cancer Therapy and Research Institute (KCTRI), a 70-bedded charitable non-profit trust hospital is an example of this transformation.

KCTRI serves a large number of patients from lower socio-economic backgrounds, providing essential cancer care services. Prior to the digital transition, the hospital managed clinical workflows entirely on paper, which presented numerous challenges, including inefficiencies, the risk of errors, and difficulties in accessing patient information swiftly. Recognizing the need to modernize and streamline their operations, KCTRI planned to digitize their systems thus improving the quality of care they provide.

After a thorough evaluation process, KCTRI selected one of the 6 EMR vendors empanelled by NCG-KCDO as their technology partner to implement both HMIS and EMR systems. The implementation process involved detailed planning and collaboration between KCTRI’s team and the EMR vendor. Despite the complexities of transitioning from paper-based workflows to a digital system, the teams ensured a smooth go-live process.

This milestone is not just about technology; it’s about making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and patient-centered. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to support healthcare providers like KCTRI in their digital transformation.

Mizoram State Cancer Institute Goes Live with HMIS and EMR to Improve Cancer Care

Mizoram State Cancer Institute (MSCI), a 60-bed government hospital, has taken a significant step towards improving healthcare delivery by implementing a Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This digital transformation marks a new beginning for MSCI, which previously operated on paper-based workflows. An HMIS installed in 2011 had become non-functional, leading the hospital to rely on manual processes. The need for digitization was driven by the necessity to enhance efficiency and data accessibility, critical in managing high patient volumes and improving care quality.

Mizoram faces a high cancer burden, particularly with lung, oesophageal, and stomach cancers, largely due to local dietary habits and high tobacco use. Cancer control is a state priority, but data limitations hinder analysis and research, as many patients seek treatment outside Mizoram. Resource constraints, including a shortage of oncologists, further challenge MSCI’s operations. To address this, the state is expanding its cancer care capacity through the Mizoram State Super-Specialty Cancer and Research Centre project, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which aims to increase MSCI’s capacity to 200 beds over the next five years.

MSCI has gone live with their HMIS and EMR systems, which are expected to streamline clinical workflows, improve data management, and enhance patient care. This transformation will allow quicker access to patient information, enabling more efficient clinical decision-making and personalized care. The new digital system will provide valuable insights that can be used to help address Mizoram’s cancer challenges and explore remote care options, such as teleconsultation.

MSCI’s digital journey shows how technology can transform healthcare, especially in resource-limited settings. As MSCI continues to expand its digital capabilities, it sets a powerful example for other institutions aiming to enhance healthcare delivery through technology.

NCG-KCDO Releases Comprehensive UI/UX Guidelines to Enhance Usability across Digital Health Systems

August 2024, The National Cancer Grid - Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (NCG-KCDO), in collaboration with ZEUX Innovation, has published the UI/UX Guidelines for EMR and Clinical systems aimed at enhancing the usability and efficiency of healthcare application. These guidelines have been crafted with input from doctors, nurses, and administrative staff, ensuring that the final product addresses real-world pain points.

Recognizing the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, these guidelines provide an easy to use framework to help develop more friendly and usable applications – key for adoption of digital tools in healthcare.

SHIFT framework: Focuses on identifying and addressing UX challenges faced by healthcare professionals. It emphasizes aligning user journeys with real-world processes, simplifying navigation, and ensuring that the system meets the mental models of its users.

HEALING framework: Focuses on design and development of new healthcare systems - Human-centered design, Efficiency, Accuracy, Lifecycle support, Idiot-proofing, Navigation simplicity, and Growth-oriented design. These aspects of this framework ensure that the healthcare systems are intuitive, reliable, and scalable, enabling seamless integration into existing workflows and improving overall user satisfaction.

The EMR UI/UX Guidelines have been released in August 2024 and are available for free download here: - EMR UI/UX Guidelines

NCG KCDO Publishes Clinical Workflows to Enhance Oncology EMR

July 2024, The National Cancer Grid (NCG) Electronic Medical Records (EMR) initiative has been well received by the NCG Hospitals and our community of healthcare professionals and stakeholders. As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance the EMR initiative, NCG-KCDO has established distinct subcommittees to focus on specific areas of improvement. These subcommittees bring together subject matter experts in oncology from several NCG hospitals across the country to build the features and functionalities in EMR systems. The Medical | Radiation | Surgical Oncology modules have been developed in close collaboration with oncologists from across the NCG, leveraging their insights and expertise to ensure its effectiveness and usability. These modules aim to streamline the process, providing oncologists and healthcare providers with the tools they need to deliver optimal care to patients with cancer. This collaborative effort has been informed by thorough industry research, ensuring that the NCG helps EMR vendors build solutions aligned with best practices and meet the diverse needs of our stakeholders.

The Medical | Radiation | Surgical Oncology 2.0 incorporates industry feedback and was published on 25th of July 2024. Additional feedback and suggestions can be sent to spm.ncgkcdo@gmail.com

Review/Download the documents here:

• NER Medical Oncology Module 2.0
• NER Surgical Oncology Module 2.0
• NER Radiation Oncology Module 2.0

Axis Bank Extends Support to National Cancer Grid Koita Centre for Digital Oncology and Contributes Rs. 100 Crores towards enhancing Research, Innovation, and Digital Health Adoption in Oncology

March 2024, Axis Bank, one of India's leading private sector banks, has pledged to contribute Rs 100 Crores to the National Cancer Grid. The 5-Year partnership will work towards enhancing access to Cancer Care, advance cancer research and revolutionize digital health adoption across the 300+ cancer centres affiliated with the NCG.

Underlining the importance of this initiative, Rajiv Anand, Deputy Managing Director, Axis Bank said, “It is an extremely proud moment for us to partner with the National Cancer Grid and Tata Memorial Hospital in their journey towards revolutionizing cancer research and advancement of cancer care. This partnership resonates with Axis Bank’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility mission of promoting sustainable healthcare, including preventive health. This alliance reaffirms Axis Bank’s dedication towards humanitarian causes and societal well-being."

Commenting on this initiative, Dr. C. S. Pramesh, Director, Tata Memorial Hospital and Convenor, National Cancer Grid, said, “We are grateful to Axis Bank for their generous contribution. Their support is critical for us to drive cancer research, innovation and digital health initiatives at the National Cancer Grid, which has taken several transformational steps for delivery of high-quality cancer care to patients with cancer across the country. We also look forward to learning from Axis Bank’s rich experience in digital transformation as we embark on a similar journey for the NCG.”

Adding to the comments, Rizwan Koita, Director Koita Foundation said, "We are delighted that Axis Bank is supporting the National Cancer Grid and in turn the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology with this substantial grant. This grant holds the promise of fostering meaningful enhancements in cancer care accessibility, affordability, and outcomes by leveraging Digital Health technologies. This partnership will also support the Government of India’s efforts in increasing Digital Health adoption across the country."

Smt. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, CEO, NHA inaugurated the office of National Cancer Grid-Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (NCG-KCDO)

February 2024, It was an honor to have the National Cancer Grid-Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (NCG-KCDO) office at Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai inaugurated by Smt. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, CEO, National Health Authority (NHA) along with Shri Vikram Pagaria, Director - NHA in the presence of Dr. C S Pramesh, Director, TMH and Convenor NCG, Dr. Manju Sengar, HOD Medical Oncology, TMH and NCG core team member, Dr. Nikesh R. Shah, CEO, NCG-KCDO, Mr. Rizwan Koita, Director, Koita Foundation and Surabhi Goel, COO, Koita Foundation.

NCG-KCDO is actively driving adoption of ABDM compliant Electronic Medical Records (EMR) across its national network of NCG hospitals. NCG-KCDO has also created an interoperability taskforce with industry experts for disease specific clinical data portability, leveraging the existing ABDM framework.

NCG-KCDO Highlights the Transformative Role of Digital Health in Breast Cancer Care at the 9th 'Year in Review Breast Cancer' Conference

January 2024, NCG-KCDO was honoured to participate in the Year in Review Breast Cancer Conference organized at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Dr Nikesh Shah gave a presentation titled "Digital Oncology: Progress and Future Outlook," that engaged the audience, shedding light on the importance of digital health in cancer care and the evolving role of clinicians in driving its adoption.

The presentation highlighted various applications of digital technology in breast cancer care. Telemedicine, remote monitoring, and wearable devices enable real-time patient data collection, fostering proactive and timely interventions. Artificial intelligence and machine learning contribute to advanced diagnostics, aiding in the early detection of breast cancer and tailoring treatment plans based on individual patient profiles. Consumer digital platforms provide valuable resources and support networks for patients, promoting holistic well-being during and after treatment.

NCG-KCDO emphasized the pivotal role that clinicians play in driving the adoption of digital health solutions in oncology. As technology continues to evolve, healthcare professionals must actively engage with these advancements to enhance patient care. As we look to the future, the integration of digital solutions in cancer care promises a more personalized, efficient, and patient-centric approach to oncology.

NCG Newsletter Dec 2023

Dec 2023, Bi-annual newsletter of the National Cancer Grid (NCG)

NCG-KCDO engages with hospitals to discuss their digital roadmap

November 2023 and January 2024, NCG-KCDO visited and engaged with 11 key cancer care hospitals located in the cities of Kolkata, Silchar, Aizawl, and Lucknow. The team discussed the importance of digital transformation and the roadmap of digital initiatives over the next 5 years. There was a general recognition that technology is an integral part of care delivery with a strong commitment from all centres to align to NCG’s vision and participate in key NCG initiatives including digital oncology.

The delivery structure is highly dependent on local context requiring any technology solution to have high degree of flexibility and adaptability especially for hospitals in relatively poorer geographies where processes continue to evolve and mature over time. Skilled labour including doctors and support staff especially technicians continue to be a challenge in remote areas like Silchar and Aizawl. Upskilling existing staff using technology can help plug some of these gaps.

Acknowledging the continued challenge in adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), emphasis was given on the need for collaborative efforts to address this hurdle. It was further highlighted that this is a critical foundational capability for achieving interoperability in alignment with the vision outlined by ABDM and NCG-KCDO. There was interest in exploring an oncology specific telehealth initiative to provide continuity of care to a geographically dispersed patient base. It was heartening to see examples of frugal innovation and the focus on patient care in resource constrained environments.

NCG-KCDO will work on capturing such best practices across the NCG network so others can leverage the ideas and delivery models while continuing to adapt to the local context.

NCG-KCDO promotes Oncology EMR adoption at the 3rd Indian Cancer Congress

November 2023, In a notable presence at the 3rd Indian Cancer Congress (ICC) held in Mumbai from November 2nd to 5th, 2023, NCG-KCDO organized a compelling showcase of 4 NCG empanelled Oncology Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), which received a warm reception from the attending oncology specialists.

Several oncologists and administrators spent hours with the EMR solutions to fully understand the capabilities and features of each solution and providing valuable feedback on enhancement areas. It was encouraging to see a growing interest in digital solutions and recognizing that digital health is no longer a choice.

By providing a platform for vendors to present their EMRs to a discerning audience of oncology professionals, NCG-KCDO is actively contributing to the growth and success of these technology providers. This collaborative approach aligns with the mission to foster innovation in oncology care through digital solutions.

NCG-KCDO shared details of its Leading EMR Adopter Program (LEAP) to the visitors to provide further encouragement to drive EMR adoption. More details on the LEAP can be found on NCG-KCDO EMR Initiative

NCG-KCDO leads a Panel Discussion on Providing Clinical Decision Support at the 3rd Indian Cancer Congress

November 2023, The 3rd Indian Cancer Congress (ICC), held in Mumbai from November 2nd to 5th, 2023, brought together leading minds in the field of oncology and healthcare technology. Dr. Nikesh Shah co-directed a full day session on digital health titled Innovation, Disruption and AI in Oncology and Healthcare. It covered a broad landscape of topics organized in 5 sections:

• Reimagining Healthcare in a Digital World
• Enabling Digital Transformation to Maximize Value
• Unleashing the Power of Healthcare Data
• Startup Pitches
• Immersing into the Digital Health Startup Ecosystem

Dr. Nikesh Shah also moderated a panel discussion on "Providing Clinical Decision Support”. The panel comprised of a diverse group of professionals including Arvind Sivaramakrishnan (CIO, Karkinos Healthcare), Priyanjit Ghosh (Co-Founder and CEO of Logy.AI), Rajesh Kuppuswamy (Health Care and Life Sciences Industry Advisor at AWS, India) and Dr. Shailesh Shrikhande (Deputy Director of Tata Memorial Hospital and Head of GI and HPB Cancer Surgery).

The discussion started with aligning on the definition of the scope of CDS ranging from care treatment pathway recommendations to virtual access to expertise. This was followed by exchanging perspectives on how we can think of CDS as a way to reduce disparity in care. There was spirited discussion on leveraging CDS for capacity/expertise building to improve standardization of care especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Each panelist shared specific examples within their organizations that are relevant for the Indian ecosystem such as providing data driven insights on learned protocols based on specific cohorts of patients. The panel shifted gears to talk about enabling CDS solutions to become a reality and addressing the barriers to adoption including creation of synthetic data, avoiding bias and aligning to ethical standards. The opportunity to better collaborate through sharing of data and improving tools was highlighted.

The key takeaway was that we need to build technology that is affordable, usable, consistent, humane, non-intimidating that will further help in changing the clinician's mindset and drive widespread adoption.

NCG Empanels Leading EMR Vendors To Implement ABDM Compliant Oncology Specific EMRs Across NCG Network

August 2023, NCG-KCDO is proud to announce that it has empanelled Amrita Technologies, Manorama Infosolutions Private Limited, Oakland Systems Private Limited, Ohum Healthcare Solutions Private Limited, Plus91 Technologies Private Limited, TrioTree Technologies Private Limited as the NCG Empanelled Oncology EMR Vendors till December 31, 2025.

NCG Newsletter June 2023

June 2023, Bi-annual newsletter of the National Cancer Grid (NCG) featuring Koita Centre of Digital Oncology (KCDO)

NCG-KCDO Publishes Comprehensive EMR Requirements for Cancer Care

May 2023, The National Cancer Grid (NCG) and the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) supports 300+ NCG hospitals in adopting digital tools to enhance cancer care. NCG-KCDO core team along with oncology and healthcare technology experts have developed a comprehensive set of requirements for EMRs to meet the specialized needs of cancer care - NCG EMR requirements (NER). NCG-KCDO believes that NER will provide a critical foundation capability enabling standardization and integration with other solutions addressing the cancer care continuum. The NER 2.0 incorporates industry feedback and was published on 28th of March 2023. Additional feedback and suggestions can be sent to ncgkcdo@tmc.gov.in.

To review / download NER 2.0 document, click here

Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) and National Cancer Grid appoints Dr. Nikesh R. Shah as CEO NCG-KCDO

March 2023, National Cancer Grid is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Nikesh Shah as CEO for NCG-KCDO. Dr. Nikesh comes from a rich clinical background with expertise in global health, technology and oncology. Dr Nikesh will support NCG and its 300+ network hospitals for building a strong Digital Health team to transform the nature of cancer care to be more accessible, affordable and effective across the care continuum.

NCG and KCDO invites HMIS/EMR vendors to empanel with NCG

March 2023, NCG will support the empaneled EMR vendors to enhance their products to meet cancer specific requirements. In addition, NCG will promote the empaneled EMR vendors across the 300 NCG affiliated hospitals across India.

Please click here for the Request For Empanelment along with the NCG EMR requirements.

Last date of Submission: 21st April 2023.

For any queries, please contact: ncgkcdo@tmc.gov.in

NCG KCDO on a Digital mission to improve cancer care

January 2023, Koita Center for Digital Oncology (KCDO) and National Cancer Grid (NCG) organised a successful Industry Consultation at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. The event was attended by over 100 industry experts from the digital health space and oncology. KCDO envisions helping 300+ NCG member centres leverage Digital Health technologies to meaningfully improve cancer care in India.

NCG KCDO and NABH MOU signing: A major step to improve cancer care in India

January 2023, The Koita Center for Digital Oncology (KCDO) reached an important milestone in its Digital Health journey – the signing of MOU between National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare (NABH) and the National Cancer Grid (NCG) for the active cooperation and collaboration on digital health initiatives to bring a paradigm shift in cancer care in the country.

Koita Center for Digital Oncology established to improve cancer care using digital technologies

27th August 2022, The National Cancer Grid (NCG), an initiative of the Union government through the Department of Atomic Energy and its grant-in-aid institution, the Tata Memorial Centre, has established the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) to promote the use of digital technologies and tools to improve cancer care across India.

National Cancer Grid establishes new centre for digital oncology

27th August 2022, The centre has been set up with the contributions received from the Koita Foundation, which will support it for five years The National Cancer Grid (NCG) has established the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) to promote use of digital technologies and tools to improve cancer care across India. The centre has been set up with the contributions received from the Koita Foundation, which will support it for five years.

कैंसर मरीजों के उपचार को सुगम बनाएगी एनसीजी

26th August 2022, कैंसर के मरीजों के लिए खुशखबरी, राष्ट्रीय कैंसर ग्रिड (एनसीजी) ने पूरे भारत में कैंसर के उपचार को और सुगम बनाने के लिए डिजिटल उपकरणों के उपयोग को बढ़ावा दे रही है। ताकि कैंसर के मरीजों को भटकना न पड़े, और वह देश के किसी भी हिस्से से इलाज के लिए अपने आधार कार्ड के जरिए डॉक्टर से संपर्क साध सके।

National Cancer Grid (NCG) Establishes New Centre for Digital Oncology to improve Cancer Care using Digital Technologies

26th August 2022, The National Cancer Grid (NCG) has established the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) to promote use of digital technologies and tools to improve cancer care across India. The Centre has been set up with the contributions received from the Koita Foundation, which will support it for five years. The Tata Memorial Centre and Koita Foundation formalized the collaboration by signing an MoU at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai today.

India’s NCG sets up Koita Centre for Digital Oncology to improve cancer care

29th August 2022, India’s National Cancer Grid (NCG) has established the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO) to improve cancer care across the country using digital tools and technologies.