AI can fix gaps in global healthcare systems: WEF
WEF report cited several cases including one from India, to highlight the transformative potential of AI in healthcare
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New Delhi Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help fight systemic challenges straining global healthcare systems with AI-driven diagnosis, infectious disease intelligence and clinical trial optimisation showing the highest potential, a new study said on Monday.
The report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) cited several case studies, including one from India, to highlight the transformative potential of AI in healthcare and the importance of public-private collaboration in driving its global adoption.
The Indian case study found that Apollo Hospitals was using AI to assess cardiovascular risk more accurately than established benchmarks and at a massive scale. Nearly 18 million people die each year from heart disease, accounting for an estimated 32 per cent of worldwide deaths and this burden is especially high in India, where cardiovascular disease is characterized by early onset, rapid progression and high mortality rate.
"Apollo Hospitals operates more than 50 hospitals serving more than 300 million patients across India. Given its position on the front lines of the disease, Apollo aspired to create a risk stratification algorithm that would provide a heart disease 'score' for any patient in India to be more accurate than traditional risk stratification approaches," the WEF said. The study, conducted in collaboration with global management consulting and technology firm ZS, aims to spur public-private collaboration to accelerate the responsible application of AI in healthcare, the WEF said. It proposed a global taxonomy for healthcare AI uses and shows how global healthcare systems could unlock the full potential of these new technologies to transform patient care, reduce costs and enable people to live healthier, longer lives.
