NHA invites comments on consultation paper on operationalization of Unified Health Interface in India

 

• UHI is envisioned as a foundational layer of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and aims to enable interoperability in healthcare in India through open protocols.

New Delhi: The National Health Authority (NHA) on Thursday released a consultation paper on 'Operationalizing Unified Health Interface (UHI) in India', outlining market regulations governing UHI networks.

UHI is envisioned as a foundational layer of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and aims to enable interoperability in healthcare in India through open protocols.

The consultation paper focuses on the various elements of UHI and the market regulations governing them. These include guidelines that will govern searches and searches in a fair and transparent manner, payment and settlement procedures, rules related to cancellation and rescheduling, grievance redressal mechanisms, and more. Each section has specific open questions where feedback is solicited from stakeholders. Comments from the public are invited to ensure that the UHI network is designed and operated in a collaborative and consultative manner.

Speaking about the importance of this consultation paper, RS Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority said, “The Unified Health Interface will enable interoperability of health services in India. Since there are many stakeholders involved in the development of the UHI, it is important to clearly define how the various elements will be operated in a fair, efficient and transparent manner. We urge stakeholders to share their valuable comments and play a role in shaping India's digital healthcare ecosystem. This stakeholder involvement can help avoid bottlenecks in implementation and help make adoption faster and easier."