Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) Establishes a New Centre for Digital Diabetology with Support from the Koita Foundation

Mumbai, 18th April 2024

Key focus areas of RSSDI-Koita Centre for Digital Diabetology (RSSDI-KCDD) include improving the quality of treatment & patient experience, making care more affordable & accessible, facilitating training & capacity building, and fostering research & development in diabetes.

The Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) is the largest association of physicians dedicated to the care of people with diabetes in Asia, with over 11,500 members across 23 states in India. Koita Foundation (www.koitafoundation.org) is a not-for-profit organization focused on driving Digital Health Adoption and NGO Transformation in India.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony took place in the presence of Dr. Rakesh Sahay, President RSSDI, Dr Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary General, RSSDI, Mrs. Rekha Koita, Director Koita Foundation, and Ms. Surabhi Goel, COO- Koita Foundation, at the RSSDI Annual Research Retreat 2024 in Jaipur on 13th April 2024.

RSSDI-KCDD is a first-of-its-kind centre to focus on Digital Diabetology. Its focus areas will include:

  • Quality: Leverage digital technology to improve diabetes treatment workflows and patient experience; including the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), clinical quality measures, guideline adherence, patient engagement, AI/ML
  • Affordability: Identify areas for cost reduction using digital health technology, data sharing, etc., to make diabetes care more affordable e.g., cost of care benchmarking
  • Access: Leverage digital technology to improve access to high-quality diabetes care esp. in non-urban, rural areas e.g., telemedicine
  • Productivity: Leverage digital tools & automation to improve the clinical & administrative workflows, reducing manual and redundant activities
  • Best Practices: Identify and share best practices in digital technology in Diabetes management
  • Training and Capacity Building: Use Digital Health tools for continuous learning and skill development for various user groups, such as doctors, nurses, technicians
  • Research and Development: Partner with healthcare startups, pharma/ healthcare companies, and other organizations to drive R&D in diabetes

Underlining the importance of this initiative, Dr. Rakesh Sahay, President, RSSDI said, “This Centre is going to play an important role in the coming years in the development of newer technologies and innovations for improving the care of diabetes. Getting access to timely and accurate patient data has been a challenge in Diabetes management, and KCDD will help us bridge this important gap. We foresee this Centre to become globally relevant in driving the use of digital technology for diabetes management”.

Commenting on this initiative Dr. Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary General, RSSDI said, "It’s a very proud moment for us to announce the launch of RSSDI- Koita Centre for Digital Diabetology. We need to leverage digital tools to support patient, doctors and healthcare systems, and the Centre will stand as an example for revolutionising digital technologies in diabetes care".

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Rizwan Koita, Co-founder & Director, Koita Foundation said, "Given the scale and breadth of RSSDI and its 50-year track record, it is ideally positioned to provide leadership in this new and emerging space. RSSDI-KCDD initiatives are closely tied with the government of India’s focus on driving Digital Health adoption, including the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. Moreover, the ability to aggregate patient data at scale will help RSSDI-KCDD drive use of advanced technologies like AI and Machine Learning in Diabetes management, and provide tools for developing public health programs."

RSSDI-KCDD will work closely and leverage learnings from the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (KCDO), established in partnership with Tata Memorial Centre and the National Cancer Grid in 2022.

About Research Society for the Study of Diabetes (RSSDI)

Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India was registered under the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860 by the Registrar of Societies, Delhi Administration vide Certificate No. s 5480 of 1972-73 dated July 29, 1972 at Delhi. Currently with over 11,500 members represented from 23 Indian States and Union Territories, RSSDI is the largest organization in India and South Asia; and one of the largest organizations amongst the top in the world, representing diabetes care. Present across all states in India, RSSDI is supported by 23 state chapters. RSSDI conducts initiatives for improving diabetes care, patient awareness programs, education provision of healthcare facilities, training of educators and doctors who want to work in the field of diabetes. The organization supports research through grants to further the understanding of the disease within the Indian population. RSSDI collaborates with a number of organizations who are involved in technology, NGOs, knowledge partners, and within the industry. Through these partnerships, RSSDI does capacity building to reach out to patients, doctors, and healthcare providers to bring them in one ecosystem to implement the healthcare as per recommendations.

About Koita Foundation

Koita Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that has two focus areas - NGO Transformation and Digital Health. As part of Koita Foundation Digital Health initiatives, it has partnered with IIT Bombay to establish the Koita Centre for Digital Health (www.kcdh.iitb.ac.in) and has partnered with Tata Memorial Hospital and the National Cancer Grid to establish the Koita Centre for Digital Oncology (www.kcdo.in).

Koita Foundation works closely with National Health Authority (NHA) and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) on their Digital Health initiatives. Learn more about Koita Foundation – www.koitafoundation.org.