Exclusive- How AI, big data, smart doctor apps and cloud based tech are revolutionising healthcare facilities in India

Globally, there is an increasing prevalence of Non Communicable or lifestyle diseases (Diabetes, BP, Obesity, Mental Health etc), resulting in increased healthcare costs for end consumers, insurers, employers and governments. The lack of a personalised approach limits consumer interest and engagement and a fragmented ecosystem creates the need for a cohesive offering that not only enhances the experience for the customers, but is also intuitive in its interaction with them. The inefficiency in healthcare value chain is results in prohibitive healthcare costs for end consumers, insurers, employers and governments. 

In an exclusive interview with Zee Business Online, Adrit Raha, CEO Vivant talked about the importance of AI, cloud-based IT services and smart doctor apps to fill this void. A B2B healthcare platform, Vivant leverages machine learning and multi channel approach to consolidate health data, derive meaningful insights and provide personalized care. 

Here are the edited excerpts of the interview -
 
Q1. How is the application of big data, A.I. and cloud-based IT services aiding the advancement of healthcare in India?  

Let’s start with ‘cloud technology’ wherein it allows for ease of access and connectivity given the Geographical spread of India! Sitting in a remote office, in a remote town one now has access which would have been impossible not too long ago. With the recent innovation in AI & ML, and if Big Data is mined properly - the capability to induce ’self learning’ to drive a more targeted and informed interaction with the end customer is now made possible; particularly in the health tech space, which addresses the current problem of ‘one size fits all’. In addition, it drives efficiency in process.  Big data transforms into extremely meaningful and actionable insights, thereby helping us understand the unique needs of a population or individual. This, subsequently, leads to more personalised and customised care. Making it sui generis, the insights can not only help move from curative to preventive care, but, also make it persuasive enough and drive habit formation which is the ‘holy grail'. 

Q2. What is your take on ‘smart health’ or 'smart doctor apps'? Are they viable?  

Yes! Digital health utilizes mobile health (mHealth), health information technology (IT), wearable devices, tele health and telemedicine, and personalized medicine etc. to bring together the stakeholders in healthcare system such as patients, health care practitioners, researchers, medical device industry firms together and make healthcare system efficient. It empowers consumers and helps them take the right decision at the right time, armed with the right information. For example, in the world of women’s health: A visit to a Ob-GYN office is now being replaced with virtual consultations, thereby saving time for both stakeholders, tracking of periods and ovulation is now as easy as downloading an app and letting it do the work for you, educating girls about puberty and mensuration, providing women of reproductive age about ovulation, managing their pregnancies and getting back to work, information on infertility and menopause, is no longer at the mercy of health educators alone. Education materials in the form of audio and video can now be made easily available to women of all age groups and at any remote part of the world. 

Q3. What are various tools available for consumers to manage or improve their health?  

We typically categorise our tools into three broad buckets: Identification, Tracking & Managing. The goal is to ultimately drive habit formation - and this is the big opportunity we see in the healthcare space. How does one ultimately empower the end customer to take matters in to their own hand, before and not after a health incident. The range of tools and options can range from identifying your risks towards various health conditions to tracking them through wearables and smart apps to consulting an expert and accessing personalised health coaches.  

Q4.  What are some emerging trends in the health tech space?  

There’s innovation happening every minute in this space, and given the ‘uberization’ of this sector is yet to happen, I anticipate continued change and evolution for some time! The areas to watch out for are the tech platforms that are poised to solve inefficiencies in today’s healthcare ecosystem - where the provider, payer and customer are disconnected. The balance of power is shifting, and that consumers are at the center of this shift, redefining the ways that healthcare is accessed. Technologies such as teleconsultation, e-pharmacies, integrated medical devices, mobile health applications and virtual care programs are all empowering the consumer to be the initiator and not rely on caregivers to be the driver. 

Q5. What’s your take on the gradual rise of ‘Femtech' in the Indian healthcare sector?  

'Femtech’ will be pivotal not just in the Indian healthcare sector but globally for the recent initiatives that have arisen to break down societal taboos and empower women to be more vocal about their health. Such discussions are no longer confined to an OB-GYN office or spoken about in a hush-hush manner. However, for these movements to reach scale, be sustainable and make a lasting impact, the role of technology can never be undermined. With increasing advancement, acceptability and accessibility, technology holds tremendous promise to be a women’s best friend when it comes to health. Mhealth to diagnostic tools, wearable trackers, and additional online services, technology now has the sophistication to transform women’s health, empower them to be in charge of their own health choices and, most significantly, disrupt commonly held misconceptions. From areas of menstrual health, birth control, pregnancy, breast health to menopause, technology is effectively addressing the unique aspects. Touted as “Fem-Tech”, technologies revolutionising women’s health is garnering great interest from various communities, including physicians, health policy makers, pharmaceutical and medical devices companies and from investors alike. 

Q6. Can you share some unheard facts about the Indian healthcare sector?  

The recent scary fact that came to my understanding was around the broader taboo pertaining to women’s health. In passing, I was speaking to an old friend and she mentioned that as part of her new role in trying to introduce a sanitary product in to India, it was identified that only 11% of Indian women use sanitary pads! The need for education and awareness seems to be the requirement of the hour and with our new vernacular period / fertility tracker that we are looking to launch later this year we are attempting to solve this problem (baby steps)! 

Q7. How can workplaces provide better health spaces and help employees take care of their well-being? 

Today’s workplace is driven typically by checkbox exercises, whether it be protection (buying of Insurance), or activities - which are usually lead by regulatory requirements around DNI. Health has a direct correlation to mental well-being and ultimately productivity. One cannot ignore that, however the intangibles quite often don’t allow for workplaces to take this seriously. Workplace wellness has been plagued by a One Size Fits All culture without much attention to personalisation or persuasive psychology. The general perception is more the features; more robust is the workplace program. This cannot be more flawed. What employees respect most when it comes to workplace wellness is anonymity. They like to have a channel where they can manage their health without their peers or supervisor being aware of the same. The potential of such programs to bring overall health of an organization, reduce absenteeism and increase presenteeism is immense, as typically, employees spend most of their day at workplace. But, much change is required and more attention to be paid to employee personalized care.