New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS): The increasing penetration of mobile phones and smart devices in the country can play a major role in improving access to health care and involving patients more in their own treatment, a leading Oxford University academic said.

In a lecture delivered in the national capital Sep 15, Robyn Norton, principal director of the George Institute for Global Health and James Martin professorial fellow at the University of Oxford, spoke on the possibility of mobile technologies improving the country's health care sector.

Talking about India, Norton said there was a great challenge for health care systems and infrastructure to achieve universal health access, reach large rural areas, and cater for the growing middle classes without breaking the bank.

"The country needs to move to affordable new systems capable of satisfying growing health care demands. This is where we see technology having a huge amount to offer," Norton said.

"Mobile phone ownership in India means they have more reach than the health infrastructure. Even if individuals don't have a phone, someone will have in any village," she added.