AI transforming healthcare: ISB study

Hyderabad: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to significantly improve healthcare delivery in India by bridging the critical gaps, particularly in the areas of diagnostics and treatment across underserved regions, according to a study titled ‘Understanding the Canvas of AI in Healthcare in India’ done by the Indian School of Business (ISB) on Wednesday.

The study showed how AI can enhance care delivery while overcoming the constraints of infrastructure and workforce shortages. It cited the innovations like Qure.ai’s q-XR technology, which diagnoses tuberculosis from chest X-rays with remarkable speed and accuracy and Niramai’s AI-driven thermal imaging solution is helping to detect breast cancer early, offering an affordable and non-invasive alternative to traditional mammograms.

The study notes that these AI tools have drastically cut down diagnostic times, enabling earlier interventions. It also presents data on the growth of AI in healthcare start-ups. Around 70 start-ups are leveraging AI for tasks ranging from disease detection to preventive healthcare and mental well-being. The research notes that India’s healthcare sector, valued at $372 billion, is growing rapidly, but is also struggling to meet demands due to workforce shortages. AI has the potential to bridge this gap by improving diagnostic accuracy, speeding up treatment processes, and lowering overall costs.

The report also highlights significant challenges. A key barrier is the lack of widespread Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which are critical for implementing AI solutions at scale. Other challenges include the high costs of infrastructure, concerns about data privacy and the need for professionals trained in both healthcare and AI. Despite these hurdles, the ISB study projects a promising future for AI in healthcare, especially with government support.

The National Digital Health Infrastructure is one such initiative highlighted in the report, which aims to create a digital health ecosystem with personal health records and a digital health ID for every citizen. ISB’s research calls for better collaboration between start-ups, hospitals and the government to realise AI’s full potential in transforming India’s healthcare landscape.