Rashmi Sinha, Head IT, Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram
India’s healthcare landscape is being rapidly transformed by digitalisation. Smart wearables, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to curate customised treatment plans, telemedicine and electronic health records are examples of the new digital technologies and use cases. Rashmi Sinha, Head IT, Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram, reflect on these trends and their organisations’ digital road maps for the future.
How are digital solutions transforming the healthcare sector? What are the key trends?
The healthcare sector is dramatically transforming itself with the power of digital innovations, changing patient care, operational efficiency and the entire medical landscape. The future looks brighter with the growth of advanced technology, as more and more digital solutions emerge as important tools for overcoming long-standing challenges in the industry.
Rapid telemedicine adoption is transforming healthcare through the ability to offer remote consultations, bridging geographical divides and bringing patients timely access to medical expertise. It is not only making things more convenient for the patient but also reducing the load on crowded hospitals, especially in underserved areas. Another big breakthrough has been the advent of AI and machine learning (ML), which have revolutionised the diagnosis of diseases, making it swifter and far more accurate. AI-based tools help clinicians interpret medical images and predict patient outcomes, thereby enabling them to make more informed decisions. In addition, AI-based personalised treatment plans ensure that patients receive care that is customised to their health needs.
Wearable technology and remote monitoring devices are also shaping the means by which health data is collected and analysed. These devices record patient’s vital signs in real time, immediately alerting healthcare experts to potential health crises before they become full-blown problems. Not only does this approach ensure greater patient safety, it also shifts the nature of care from reactive to preventive, thus improving long-term health outcomes.
The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and cloud computing is facilitating the management and sharing of medical information. This cloud-based system ensures that the patient’s data is accessible to authorised healthcare professionals, enhancing collaboration and minimising the risk of errors. At the same time, developments in blockchain technology are solving problems related to the security and privacy of data, building trust in the digital exchange of sensitive information. Robotics and automation are slowly invading surgical suites and laboratory environments. These help improve accuracy in procedures and allow for more rapid diagnostic processes to be put in place, enabling better, less invasive treatments to be designed.
Digital solutions will only change further, and the integration of these changes into healthcare is no mere trend but a shift towards a more connected, efficient and patient-centric future. On that front, there is limitless scope for further innovation and globalisation of health outcomes.
What are the key digital initiatives being undertaken by your organisation? What are the key benefits?
Our organisation is leading a transformative digital revolution in the healthcare sector, using innovative technologies for improving patient health and enhancing efficiency. We have also established a package of advanced digital solutions that are revolutionising the delivery of healthcare. First, our telemedicine platform provides remote consultations in order to reach every patient, across regions, as soon as possible. What complements this is our deployment of AI for diagnostic support: AI algorithms analyse imaging and patient data to assist clinicians in early disease detection and personalised treatment planning. We have further optimised our process of managing information by adopting a cloud-based health record to share data easily and securely across departments and with partnering institutions.
Our Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) programme is connecting wearable devices and remote monitoring tools that provide real-time data from patients to doctors. We are also researching blockchain technology to ensure the safety and privacy of patients’ data, with strict adherence to regulatory standards in order to instil trust in the digital infrastructure we are creating.
These digital initiatives bring many benefits to the healthcare spectrum. Telemedicine ensures easier access to quality care for patients, and burden of travel and waiting time are considerably reduced. In diagnosis, the inclusion of AI enables more accurate and expeditious diagnosis, with much higher accuracy. Our cloud-based system streamlines patient data management, reducing administrative errors while ensuring smooth coordination of care among specialists.
Our programmes allow continuous monitoring of health, active management of chronic conditions, swift responses to emergencies and more. Bringing blockchain technology into the ecosystem adds another layer of security to patient information, improving trust and compliance with healthcare regulations. Altogether, these initiatives add up to better care for patients as well as operational
efficiency, lower costs and a future-fit healthcare system.
What are the key challenges faced when implementing new technologies? How are you addressing them?
The adoption of new technologies in healthcare can be transformative, but very challenging. A key challenge is integration with legacy systems that are not easily supported by existing infrastructure, for more modern digital solutions. This results in a proliferation of data silos and interoperability-related issues, which become massive bottlenecks in information exchange. Further, data security and privacy remains an issue. Patient information is sensitive, so ensuring robust cybersecurity measures and regulatory compliance remains critical. Meanwhile, resistance from staff who are used to traditional workflows can cause delays or disrupt the adoption of technology. The high costs of setup and continuous maintenance make digital transformation difficult. Constant, rapid changes in technology necessitate extensive training, which is very resource-intensive. A good strategy for ensuring proper implementation and long-term sustainability is necessary, and requires collaboration between the IT, clinical and administrative teams. Understanding these challenges and addressing them will help in formulating better solutions.
We are taking a multipronged approach to deal with these issues. We thoroughly assess existing systems, so that new technologies can integrate without too much disruption and siloing of data. We have also invested in advanced cybersecurity measures and maintained strict compliance with healthcare regulations to ensure patient data safety and gain the trust of our patients. We recognise that cultural change is needed, and engage in comprehensive training programmes and continuous professional development to enable our staff to develop the skills to adapt to digital technology. Furthermore, we manage our costs using scalable cloud-based solutions, which are flexible and cost-effective but, above all, focused on long-term value rather than short-term expenditure. We maintain an atmosphere of collaboration and open communication with all stakeholders–from IT experts to clinical staff–to facilitate a seamlessly smooth transition in line with our commitment to bettering the care of the patients.
What is your organisation’s digital/technological road map? What new solutions are you exploring or planning to deploy?
Our organisation is committed to a future-focused digital transformation in the medical field. Our road map focuses on integrating advanced technologies that can streamline patient care and enhance operational efficiency.
Advanced EHR: Moving towards cloud-based solutions that facilitate timely data sharing, as well as enhanced interoperability between departments.
Scaling up telemedicine: Our virtual consultation will be available and accessible to remote and underserved populations, with timely access to expert care.
AI and data analytics: Development of AI diagnostic tools that will aid clinical decision-making, enhance accuracy and facilitate individualised treatment plans.
Cybersecurity improvements: Better provisions for protecting patients’ data and ensuring continuing compliance with legal requirements.
We also invest in the best training programmes for our staff so they will be fully able to use all these technologies, in order to foster a culture of innovation in healthcare delivery.
We are actively working on and developing innovative solutions to stay on top of medical technology. Wearable and remote monitoring devices are being used to capture real-time health data in a way that will enable proactive patient management and on-time intervention. We are also researching blockchain technology in order to set up secure, tamper-proof systems for patient records and enable easy data exchange among doctors.
What role do you foresee for next-generation technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics and 5G in shaping the healthcare sector? What will be the other key emerging trends?
The healthcare sector is standing on the verge of a technological revolution in terms of next-generation technologies. For instance, AI-driven algorithms are increasing the accuracy of diagnosis, particularly in radiology, pathology and early detection of diseases. AI-based chatbots and virtual assistants are also making patient communication and administrative processes more efficient. Parallely, IoT-enabled medical devices are transforming patient monitoring through real-time collection of health data, reduction of hospital readmissions and provision of proactive care. Smart wearables track patients’ heart rates and glucose levels, among others, ensuring constant health monitoring. Further, robot-assisted surgeries will deliver higher precision, minimal invasiveness and quicker recovery times. AI-based robotic caretakers are going to assist elderly and disabled patients so as to mitigate workforce shortages. Additionally, with 5G, fast networks with low latency will revolutionise telemedicine, remote robotic surgeries and real-time data sharing for seamless care anywhere.
Besides these core technologies, many emerging trends are shaping the future of healthcare. Personalised and predictive medicine is being increasingly used, because AI and genomics have enabled treatment according to a person’s genetic profile, thus enhancing accuracy and effectiveness. Blockchain technology is transforming data security while protecting patient records from fraud and risks. Virtual reality and augmented reality are transforming medical training and rehabilitation therapy through immersive learning experiences and innovative treatment approaches. As this progresses, healthcare will become smarter, more accessible and more patient-centric, bringing in a new era of digital-driven medical excellence.
