
Transforming Healthcare with Technology: Insights from Marble Medical Hospital's IT Manager
This interview provides a detailed look at the professional journey and technological initiatives of Asish Chathanath, IT Manager at Marble Medical Hospital in Qatar. With a background spanning government projects, hospitality, and now healthcare, he shares insights on the challenges and innovations in leveraging IT systems to enhance operational efficiency and patient experience. From modernising call centres to integrating AI for insurance claims, the discussion highlights the pivotal role of technology in transforming the healthcare industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Asish has 15+ years of IT experience across India and Qatar, transitioning from hospitality to healthcare.
- At Marble Medical, he’s led major IT upgrades, including data centre modernisation, ERP enhancements, and call centre improvements.
- Key focus areas are centralisation, security, and enhancing patient experience through technology.
- Challenges include management buy-in for new tech and adapting staff to centralised systems.
- Future plans include implementing CRM, business intelligence, and exploring AI for insurance claims.
“Moving forward, my focus is on implementing a comprehensive CRM system and enhancing data integration across platforms to ensure a more streamlined and unified patient experience.”
Could you share a brief overview of the professional journey that led you to your current position as IT Manager at Marble Medical Hospital?
Asish: I began my career in IT at a young age, following my diploma in Electronic Mechanics in 2008. During my studies, I developed a passion for electronics, experimenting with small circuits and projects. This curiosity led me to explore IT, an emerging field at the time. I pursued technical certifications like MCSA and Cisco CCNA in my hometown in India, which set the foundation for my career.
My journey started with a campus placement at Axel Frontline, a prominent IT company then. As an IT Support Engineer, I worked with government clients such as Indian Railways, sub-treasuries, and banks. This role provided me with hands-on experience in IT infrastructure, ATM systems, and token management, coupled with exposure to product expansion strategies. It was a fantastic learning experience.
Afterwards, I joined a software company in Kerala that focused on government projects and large-scale retail clients. My role included supporting IT-related hardware, software, and server operations for retail chains and supermarkets. Subsequently, I was chosen to be part of a team expanding the company’s operations to the Middle East. The initial project in Qatar faced challenges, and we could not move forward with it. I returned to Qatar six months later to join CityLink, a versatile IT company. This role marked a turning point, exposing me to advanced networking concepts, firewalls, and IT support across diverse sectors like hospitality and retail.
In 2011, I transitioned to a company specialising in hospitality and retail, which became a significant phase of my career. Starting as an IT professional, I was promoted to Group of Company IT Manager in 2012, leading a team of eight. I managed IT operations for over 45 branches, including restaurants, retail outlets, and warehouses, overseeing POS systems, servers, VPNs,New openings , Budgeting and business expansions. A notable achievement was leading the migration to SAP HANA in 2016, a challenging but rewarding project that elevated the company’s ERP capabilities.
However, in 2018, the company sold its F&B outlets, and my role shifted significantly. By 2020, I realised the need for a career change to continue growing. Despite initial challenges adapting to new industries, I embraced an opportunity in a private clinic in 2021, where I managed IT operations and supported the opening of a new branch. This experience introduced me to data centre concepts like VMware and vCenter deployment, broadening my technical expertise.
Currently, I serve as IT Manager at Marble Medical Hospital in Qatar. Since joining in 2022, I’ve overseen the restructuring of the hospital’s data centre, implementing VMware and Fortinet firewalls, and managing the ERP system developed by a UAE-based R&D team. I lead a team of two and support two operational outlets, with a third branch scheduled to open soon.
This diverse journey has allowed me to grow through challenges, adapt to different industries, and develop a holistic perspective on IT management. I’m committed to leveraging my experience to contribute effectively to the organisations I work with.
Could you share more details about your current responsibilities in the hospital’s IT systems? Specifically, what systems are you working on to enhance patient experience management and overall operational efficiency?
Asish: Currently, in my role at the hospital, I report directly to the directors and chairman. This provides the advantage of direct communication for budget discussions and long-term IT planning.
When I joined Marble Medical Center, there were significant gaps in the IT infrastructure. For example, the two branches operated independently, with no centralisation. My first major task was to centralise the systems, which required overcoming initial resistance due to concerns about potential business disruptions. However, we successfully centralised operations, including the call centres, and revamped the entire IT framework.
In 2022, we upgraded the data centre, deploying VMware, ESXi, and eight servers with Active Directory, file servers, and PFSense firewalls to enhance security and efficiency. We also modernised the call centre with the 3CX platform, introducing real-time dashboards to track call volume, abandoned calls, active agents, and other metrics. Although we lack a dedicated CRM, this system effectively handles call centre needs.
The ERP system, which was underutilised when I joined, has since been significantly expanded. Initially limited to billing, call centre, and basic EMR functions, we integrated laboratory modules, connected lab equipment, and developed a new OR (Operating Room) module tailored to our focus on plastic surgery. This module now links consumables with requisitions, streamlining workflows and enhancing operational efficiency.
Additional improvements include the launch of an in-house pharmacy integrated with the ERP and ongoing work on the asset management and HR payroll modules, which we plan to finalise within the next few months. A key area of focus has been the insurance module, as it is a critical revenue driver. We fully integrated this module with the ERP to streamline direct client submissions, revenue tracking, and claim rejections.
Looking ahead, we are working on implementing digital signature pads to reduce paper usage and make patient form processing entirely paperless. While we are making progress, challenges remain, particularly in staff training and capacity-building, which we continue to address incrementally.
In summary, our in-house ERP now encompasses almost all operational aspects—from call centre management to housekeeping requisitions—creating a more cohesive and efficient system for the hospital.
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From a patient experience perspective, how are you ensuring a unified and seamless experience across various interactions using technology? How do you monitor and maintain this consistency, and is this aspect part of your responsibilities?
Asish: Since joining, one of my primary observations was the gap in our call centre operations and customer relationship management. While my role is primarily IT-focused, I’ve actively engaged in enhancing our marketing and customer engagement processes.
Previously, the clinic relied on traditional SMS for communication, which, as I observed, is no longer impactful. People tend to view SMS primarily for transactional purposes, like OTPs. To modernise our approach, we integrated Business WhatsApp for all our marketing and communication needs. This platform provides two-way communication, which is far more engaging and effective than SMS. However, full integration with our systems is still in progress, as we depend on our R&D team in Dubai to finalise the implementation, which we expect to go live within a month.
Enhancements in Customer Engagement
- Centralising Call Center Operations: We upgraded from a fragmented system to a centralised call centre using the 3CX platform. This allowed us to implement customised reports and dashboards that provide real-time insights into agent performance, call volume, abandoned calls, and active calls. While we lack a CRM system, we’ve developed interim solutions like manual reports and tools like Monday.com for performance tracking. This process has room for improvement, and I’ve proposed a CRM solution in our 2025 budget plan to address these inefficiencies.
- Online Appointment Management: While the clinic website offers online booking, most of our patients, particularly those from Arab backgrounds, prefer traditional methods like calling our SIP number. Agents handle appointment scheduling and send automated reminders through WhatsApp or SMS to ensure patients are well-informed.
- Patient Registration and Feedback:
- Initial Registration: New patients fill out a tablet-based form (developed in-house) capturing essential data, including how they discovered our clinic. This information is processed manually into our ERP system and utilised for future marketing analytics.
- Post-Consultation Feedback: After consultations, patients are asked to complete a feedback form on a tablet. This process aligns with upcoming HSPA regulations in Qatar and helps us gather insights to improve clinic efficiency. The feedback system is built using Jotforms and functions as an interim solution until we implement a full CRM.
- Follow-Up and Reviews: To gather Google reviews, our marketing team reaches out to patients post-visit. However, obtaining reviews in the healthcare sector is challenging compared to retail or fashion industries. Despite this, we prioritise SEO optimisation for our website to enhance Google rankings and visibility.
While we’ve made strides in modernising our customer engagement processes, challenges remain. The lack of a fully integrated CRM and seamless automation still hampers efficiency. Moving forward, my focus is on implementing a comprehensive CRM system and enhancing data integration across platforms to ensure a more streamlined and unified patient experience.
As a visionary focusing on CRM and other technological advancements, how do you envision technology transforming patient experience in the healthcare industry? In your view, what are the essential technological components every hospital should implement to ensure a seamless and enhanced patient journey?
Asish: Certainly, in the Middle East, maintaining patient records for a minimum of five years is a mandatory standard, which underscores the importance of robust, technology-driven solutions. At Marble, we’ve found that integrating tools like WhatsApp Business and chatbots significantly simplifies and enhances the patient experience.
For instance, patients can now book appointments or confirm them at any time, even outside regular working hours, without needing human intervention. This is particularly impactful for individuals travelling long distances or managing tight schedules. I recall a personal experience with my mother, where we faced challenges booking a hospital appointment after hours in Kerala. Such limitations highlight the value of systems that allow patients to interact seamlessly with hospital booking systems, regardless of the time.
Additionally, delivering lab results or updates via instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp makes the process more user-friendly. While email remains relevant, it’s undeniable that most people prefer the immediacy and convenience of receiving updates directly on their smartphones. Having everything accessible with a single click or notification streamlines interactions and reduces the reliance on traditional methods.
These advancements in technology are not just about convenience but also about creating a patient-centric system where access to healthcare services is simplified, timely, and efficient, significantly enhancing the overall patient journey.
What challenges have you faced in implementing customer experience technologies across organisations?
Asish: Regarding customer relationships in the hospital sector, I’ve found the challenges quite manageable compared to my experience in the hospitality industry. Unlike hospitality, where customer interactions are dynamic and multifaceted—especially in environments like POS systems and real-time guest engagement—the hospital environment is more structured. Here, with just 8-10 patient rooms, the operations are well-managed, and there are minimal direct IT-related concerns from customers.
One common expectation from patients, especially those undergoing surgeries or staying as guests, is reliable internet connectivity. While we haven’t implemented luxury features like IPTV or digital screens, these aren’t currently critical for our operations. However, we’ve discussed potential upgrades to enhance the patient experience, such as integrating IPTV, but it remains non-essential for our identity at this stage.
One ongoing initiative involves integrating digital signature pads to streamline paperwork. Unfortunately, the current model provided by our ERP vendor only allows patients to sign without seeing the content of the form. This is something I strongly oppose, as transparency is essential—patients must see what they’re signing, much like in a bank setting. This misalignment has delayed the implementation, and the insurance department, for example, is not yet paperless. I’m advocating for a tablet-based solution where patients can review and sign forms directly, ensuring clarity and trust.
Regarding call centre operations, we’ve made significant improvements. Previously, there were frequent complaints about agents being busy or not answering calls correctly. With the implementation of call recording, reporting, and training, we’ve addressed these issues effectively. We also conducted training sessions for our call centre agents, focusing on improving their customer interaction skills, particularly in Arabic. Initially, the call centre faced challenges like incorrect bookings, which were often wrongly attributed to IT. However, with centralised systems and better monitoring, these issues have been resolved.
Today, we have dashboards providing real-time insights into call centre performance, enabling management to track metrics such as call abandonment rates and agent productivity. This has allowed us to optimise staffing levels, reducing the number of agents needed while maintaining high performance. For instance, we’ve reduced the number of agents from eight to five while achieving a 98% call completion rate with minimal abandoned calls.
In 2023, the management recognised our progress and approved a larger budget to expand and restructure our data centre. This investment has significantly enhanced our IT infrastructure, aligning it with operational needs. Overall, I’m pleased to report that management is now highly satisfied with the technological advancements we’ve implemented, and they appreciate the measurable impact on efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Healthcare is undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of technology. As someone shaping the vision for technology within your organisation, how do you envision AI contributing to this transformation and playing a role in enhancing your organisation’s operations and patient care?
Asish: Currently, we haven’t integrated AI into our operations yet, but we are taking steps toward its implementation. One of our primary focus areas is addressing the challenges associated with insurance claim rejections. With eight insurance companies in Qatar, we’ve observed recurring issues such as missing details, incorrect dental codes, unclear X-ray images, and date mismatches. These errors result in claim rejections, which create an additional workload for our insurance coordinators.
To tackle this, we are partnering with an AI-powered platform recently launched in Qatar. This platform leverages AI intelligence to pre-evaluate claim forms before submission to the insurance companies. The system analyses claims based on each insurer’s unique policies, co-payment structures, and requirements. It identifies errors and provides feedback, enabling us to make corrections before submission. This proactive approach aims to reduce rejection rates and improve the efficiency of our claims process.
Although the project was initially scheduled to launch in December, delays due to management and holiday schedules have pushed the implementation to February. We have signed a contract with the AI provider and will begin a three-month trial period during which the platform will be tested without incurring charges.
The trial will help us assess the platform’s effectiveness, especially for insurers with automated systems like NextCare, where fewer variables may make AI integration smoother. However, for insurers with manual decision-making processes, like QLM, the impact remains uncertain. By integrating this AI tool into our workflow, we hope to streamline the verification process and significantly reduce manual intervention, improving the overall efficiency of our insurance operations.
Are there any specific areas you’d like us to cover in the report that would provide valuable insights for professionals like you in customer experience management?
Asish: I’m particularly interested in understanding how new technologies, especially AI, can transform marketing in the medical industry. While tools like CRM and BI are now standard, I’d like to explore what innovative technologies or advancements AI can bring to marketing beyond these traditional approaches. For example, how can AI enhance customer relationships and engagement in ways that go beyond the current trends? This is an area I’m keen to learn more about.