It’s been a little over a month since Tata Memorial cancer hospital launched its online consultation site for patients to be able to access their experts. And it has already registered over 900 users from across India, and even Pakistan and Afghanistan, says Gitika Srivastava of Navya Network, the start-up that developed the interface built on evidence-based medicine.

“People are seeking advice on complex, multiple cancers,” says Srivastava, encouraged by the response to “TMC online.” In one month, the site has almost reached half the number it attracted during its one-year pilot run.

The pilot study focused only on breast cancer. “We received several non-breast cancer queries too,” she says, adding that the present system covers all cancers and draws on the expertise of senior consultants with TMC.

Srivastava co-founded Navya Network with her Harvard classmates and she brings in the technology expertise to the Cambridge based start-up.

Explaining how the interface works, she says, cases uploaded by patients are synopsized (including suggestions on treatment options) by Navya’s team, and this is presented to experts at TMC. Doctors then review it and make suggestions and this is shared with the patient.

Navya’s 20-member team of clinical data analysts at Bengaluru process the data and present a summary to the experts in about two hours after the patient’s case is uploaded. The specialists take three to seven days (depending on the case’s complexity) to revert and multiple experts are consulted if required.

It takes the doctor an enormous amount of time to read all the reports, clarify the patient’s doubts and consult with colleagues to arrive at a decision, says Navya’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Naresh Ramarajan. The Navya Expert System is designed to provide a structured snapshot to an expert with all of the relevant information. “The structure allows them to think and do what they do best – make the final expert decision for the patient,” he adds.

There is a ₹5,000 processing fee for Indians and $100 for international patients, but it is free of charge for those below the poverty line in India. Access to specialized medical expertise is a problem for patients, but the online site offered consultation on all types of cancers including lung, oral, gynaecologic, colon, blood, and paediatric, says Dr Rajendra A Badwe, Director - Tata Memorial Centre.

With patents on the predictive analytics system, Srivastava hopes more patients from neighbouring nations are drawn to the service, “especially since there are not many top-class cancer institutions in Asia.” The scale-up will require funds, but the system has the built in ability, to take on more.

With no background in oncology or healthcare, Srivastava recalls that the initiative started, after life took a turn. “Cancer rears its head in the lives of many of us,” she says, hoping that the service helps patients cut down their non-essential travel to meet a cancer expert.

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