AI’s Healing Touch: Transforming Healthcare for the Better

By Theuns Kotze, Managing Director, Assurance IMETA at BSI 
 
The last few years have been challenging for those working in healthcare in India. The impact of
Covid is still being felt and globally, the picture is the same – the World Health Organization (WHO)
found that around 84% of countries were still reporting some form of disruption to health services.  
However, the Indian healthcare market is growing fast. So perhaps it’s not surprising that according
to Trust in AI Poll, 80% of people in India are excited about the potential for AI to improve accuracy
of diagnosis/speed up recovery within the healthcare industry.Addressing backlogs, alleviating
workforce pressures and finding new ways to address complex illnesses could bring enormous
societal benefits, helping people live healthier lives everywhere, including in India.  
Here are a few of the ways that AI is or has the potential to be transformative in the healthcare
sector.  
Prediction and prevention 
One in two globally people say they are excited about the potential for AI to improve the accuracy of
a diagnosis or speed up recovery times – and they are right to be optimistic. It’s still early days, but
we are already seeing evidence of the opportunity presented by AI to predict and diagnose diseases
faster. Examples of use in India include a leading hospital chain using a predictive AI algorithm that
captures a patient’s health status and predicts potential risks and an AI platform that can detect
critical illnesses such as cancer.
Improving the experience for patients and professionals  
Globally, over half of those surveyed in Trust in AI Poll said they support the use of AI tools to help
them manage their care remotely, outside of a hospital setting. The Covid-19 pandemic increased the
focus on remote healthcare models, such as platforms for automated appointment systems and
healthcare apps. By automating appointments and reducing complex paperwork, these AI-driven
solutions could help to improve communication and save time for both patients and healthcare
workers. With real-time health monitoring, patients have the ability check on their condition through
an app without having to visit a doctor. These applications have functionalities that can, for example,
also alert a doctor if there are any sudden changes in a patient’s vital signs. 
Working alongside doctors 
With only 64 doctors available per 1,000,000 people in India – compared to the global average of 150
– it’s understandable that 80% of those surveyed in India say they support AI tools being used to
treat them as long as they are overseen or managed by a qualified person. AI can support doctors in
decision-making by analyzing patient data, helping to speed up and improve the diagnostic process.
This has the potential to improve patient safety by identifying risks early on so that the trajectory of
the outcome can be changed for the better. By combining AI-enabled decisions with expert judgment,
patients can have peace of mind knowing the human touch is involved in the process, while they are
still gaining trust in such technologies. 
Relieving pressure  
Covid-19 placed immense pressure on the healthcare sector. According to the WEF, “pressures on
healthcare systems affected the mental health of healthcare workers across the globe, leading to
significant burnout”. AI can’t solve every issue, but 77% of healthcare workers globally said they
believed if they received training, they would trust AI to do some or all of their jobs, including the
most menial tasks – which would, of course, free them up to deliver more quality care to patients. In
fact, within the sector there is high enthusiasm for AI, with 80% of healthcare professionals in India
saying they believe AI could help to meet staffing needs across the healthcare sector. 80% of those
surveyed also said they believe it could ease pressures including reducing waiting times.