How Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things can transform the Business of Saving Lives

Manish Sacheti, Chief Financial Officer, Ziqitza Health Care explains the inroads made by AI in the healthcare sector to ensure not just a quick turnaround, but also accessibility to those in dire need of medical aid and care

Technology, with its rapid evolution has been taking several industries across India by storm. Most experts in their field are welcoming developments like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) due to their effectiveness and lack of human involvement in accomplishing a host of tasks.

With regards to the business of saving lives, this evolution is truly a relief, with speed being the biggest advantage, which the healthcare industry of the country is reliant on. AI has been making inroads in this sector to ensure not just a quick turnaround, but also accessibility to those in dire need of medical aid and care. IoT too, is gradually being recognised as a key contributor to cause a paradigm shift in the industry.

India’s healthcare industry has its fair share of challenges, including a shortage of manpower; making it difficult to provide prompt relief during medical emergencies, especially in remote areas of the country. To this extent, researchers have huge expectations from AI and IoT, as they foresee the concept of ‘futuristic hospitals’, with a positive perspective on the shift from human processes to robotics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI, specially Machine Learning is expected to become an integral part of emergency medical care and healthcare in the near future. As per research, AI is already aiding the sector to a large extent in detecting potential diseases and ailments, along with offering support to develop their cures, through antidotes for almost 95 per cent of the world population. In India, in line with the budget announcement by the Finance Minister for 2018-19, making a proposal to develop a national strategy for the AI ecosystem is already underway by NITI Aayog.

With this, a number of medical practitioners are hopeful of AI contributing to increasing life expectancy via developments in sanitation facilities, as well as prompt medical services for urban and rural areas across the country. Sophisticated machine learning (ML) algorithms are being developed to let AI help scale, keeping the quality consistent. Experts believe that this will indeed be a big step towards sustainable healthcare, which will ensure quality and accessibility, along with affordability for all. AI’s promise to enhance emergency care and healthcare via robot-assisted services, early detection, virtual medical professionals and more is a big ray of hope for India.

As the world is gradually transitioning from experience-based medicine to experience and evidence-based medicine, according to many studies, data will play a big role in the advancement of AI in India. Most importantly though, experts have inferred that the right blend of AI and a human touch will help in achieving the necessary transformation in healthcare and emergency care.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Along with AI, the evolution of IoT-enabled connectivity is touted to be the future of healthcare and emergency care revival. It already has a number of applications in healthcare, ranging from distant monitoring to smart sensors and remedial device integration. With this, not only does it assure the safety of patients, but also enhances the medical professional’s ability to provide immediate care and relief.

When used effectively via advanced analytics and big data technologies, IoT has great potential to change the landscape of the country’s emergency care sector. A number of trends like — predictive analytics to improve outcomes, real time monitoring of patients, value-based patient centric care and several others as part of IoT can be utilised to not only boost accuracy, but also cost-efficiency.

As a reliable tool for long-term health monitoring systems, ‘wearable tech’ is the next big thing. Wearable devices are garnering swift popularity across the healthcare and emergency care sector. These can update cloud based Electronic Health Records, thereby assisting medical professionals to implement prompt measures for their patients in case of emergencies.

Technological advancements primarily help improve the quality and accessibility of services by maintaining health records and a GPS tracking system in ambulances. With the right blend of its boons like AI and IoT, a bright future in the business of saving lives across India is not far away.