AI Revolution in Healthcare: Insights from the 3rd Digital Health Summit

Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog Member (health), discussed the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare at the Confederation of Indian Industry's 3rd Digital Health Summit. Key topics included AI's role in individualised care, prediction, diagnosis, medical education, and its integration into public health systems such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise individualised healthcare, prediction and diagnosis, and also medical education, NITI Aayog Member (health) Dr VK Paul said on Friday. Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry's 3rd Digital Health Summit, themed 'Leveraging AI for Improving Health Outcomes', Paul emphasized AI's vast capabilities in the field.

The digital health era dawns with the promise of AI transforming numerous sectors, Paul stated. He highlighted AI's role in enhancing decision-making processes for physicians, from diagnostics to treatment plans. The summit gathered key stakeholders from healthcare, government, and technology to explore AI's transformative potential.

Crucial topics discussed included care delivery improvements, ethical implications, responsible AI use, sustainable business models, and AI-powered data analytics. Paul emphasized the government's interest in industry partnership to leverage AI for individualised care, prediction, targeting, and precision public health.

Paul also referenced the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), noting the opening of approximately 66 crore ABHA accounts. He urged industry stakeholders to contribute to refining these missions and collaborate on AI-driven advancements.

Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Apurva Chandra, acknowledged AI's potential to transform healthcare, noting existing applications in decision support systems, data mining, diagnostics, drug discovery, and fraud analytics. Chandra called for greater industry collaboration to harness vast datasets for predicting pandemics and managing various health outcomes.

The event also saw the launch of the 'CII Self-Regulatory Code of Conduct for Telemedicine' and a report titled 'Mapping India's Corporate Health and Wellness Landscape'.

(With inputs from agencies.)