Hospitals and other medical institutions collect heaps of data on every patient that comes in for treatment, providing a roadmap for AI with access to structured datasets. It comes as no surprise that AI is already being heavily utilised in the healthcare sector to treat patients and streamline a lot of processes.
The latest to jump on the AI bandwagon in the healthcare sector is Sagar Group of Hospitals. This is due to the fact that the Indian government is also pushing heavily for the adoption of new-age technologies like AI, blockchain and the Internet of Things in hopes that it will leapfrog issues with administration and corruption. Owing to this, Sagar Hospitals has adopted a positive attitude towards the advancements made in healthcare regarding AI.
AI in healthcare
Ishiqa Multani, the Executive Director of Sagar Hospitals, recently spoke about the hospital’s approach to the various cutting-edge technology that is emerging in the field currently. She revealed how the data collected is stored in a structured way, and how traditional database systems have already made this process efficient.
Multani further explained the process of machine learning and deep learning and how it is applied to data, build algorithms that can learn to detect patterns and come up with a diagnosis or a prediction. Moreover, they can also engage in decision-making and draw conclusions, providing doctors with a helping hand in prognosis.
The Director also spoke about the “immense amount of research and work” happening in the field. This includes technology such as wearables with AI technology for early detection, mammography results that can detect future risks of breast cancer or even scans that can detect an early symptom of cardiovascular episodes.
Rise Of ‘Internet of Medical Things’
Just as the world is slowly moving towards creating an Internet of Things, the healthcare is moving towards creating something known as the Internet of Medical Things. This will be done through a machine-to-machine communication using sensors, that capture an event and then wait for the receiver to take an action on said event, explained Multani.
Moreover, this can be monitored remotely by a healthcare provider using machine-to-machine technology. This technology can also make room for more efficient management of beds, managing costs more effectively, and timely intervention due to earlier response rates. This will prove to be a “lifesaver” in the case of road accidents, stated Multani.
Sagar Hospitals Ups Digital Adoption
“We have always been pro-technology”, stated the Director, elaborating upon the various systems that Sagar has already implemented. This includes the hospital information system, teleconferencing for doctors and patients, and connected ICUs to ensure optimal care for patients. However, their future in technology seems brighter than their past, as she revealed that there were plans to further enhance their offerings.
On the anvil, are wearables which are integrated with AI technology, an AI-enabled facility to update Electronic Medical Records and AI-enabled portals at both business and patient level. These are currently under negotiation for implementation in Sagar Hospital systems. It was also revealed that the healthcare giant has partnered with a company that will allow them to track post-discharge clinical outcomes of a patient, thus providing 360-degree healthcare facilities for the patient.
In Conclusion
Indian hospitals seem more eager than ever to integrate AI into their existing systems, both for the cost saving opportunities, and the ease of use for both patients and doctors. This is also seen by Apollo Hospital’s use of AI to identify risk factors associated with heart diseases. While the time has not come yet where AI will replace doctors completely, there is a space currently for AI and doctors to work together in order to provide best-in-class healthcare.
