Slimline

Transparency is a vital component to build an effective and efficient health care system and the lack of transparency in Indian healthcare threatens to erode public trust. As medical service consumers become more involved, conscious towards their healthcare upkeep, and take on more responsibility for paying for it, there has been a major push for more transparency in the industry. Today, these consumers are faced with high-deductible health facilities and increasing sky rocketing medical expenses demand cost information and quality.

Access to information regarding the quality and cost of healthcare services can inarguably help consumers make better decisions. Reasons why transparency is critical today:

• Enable providers, professionals, clinics and hospitals to improve by benchmarking their performance against others
• Empower patients as they have access to in-depth information which will help them make informed choices about the best-in-class medical care
• It will encourage private insurers and public programs to reward quality and efficiencies.

— The writer is Aamir Khan, a health advisor