New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released volume III of the ‘Standard Treatment Workflows’ a set of new standard treatment guidelines for 54 common conditions across 11 specialties for use by physicians at all levels of public health care. Volume III seeks to address problems associated with irrational use of medicines, over and under diagnosis and poor referral practices, among others.
Dr. Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, released the book “ICMR Standard Treatment Workflows – Volume III” and also a mobile app on Tuesday, as per an ICMR statement. Mr. Paul said the use of Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs) needs to be examined in an operational research mode and at various levels of public healthcare system. Dr. Paul added that a robust dissemination strategy, including international dissemination, involving various stakeholders needs to be planned.
On this occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Balram Bhargava, Secretary, DHR, and Director General, ICMR, said, “The burden of delivering health care at the peripheries predominantly rests on primary care physicians who have been doing a phenomenal job. The Standard Treatment Workflows will help these physicians to remain updated and will provide broad guidance on how to manage common conditions” Payden, Deputy Representative to the World Health Organization (WHO) Country office to India added that WHO is a proud partner in this endeavor and will help in dissemination of this important work across various countries and on different platforms. This will include the utilization of WHO field teams in training of healthcare workers.