AI, analytics and the future of healthcare

Imagine a scenario wherein an individual hires a nutritionist to ascertain his daily regime and formulate meal plan in line with the therapy devised. Everything is going well until the day person visits the clinic only to discover that his medical professional had to attend to an emergency case and is not in town for a few weeks. In such a scenario, substituting a specialist may not necessarily be worthwhile, and telephonic conversation probably is not viable. What is an apt panacea a person can look up to? What if he never needs a nutritionist in the first place?

Artificial Intelligence: Aiding Healthcare
We are living in an era where scientists are attempting to impart machines with the cognitive abilities, and every day the world is witnessing a success story. One is that of IBM’s Watson, an undeniable manoeuvre having some impressive oncological accomplishments. Their modus operandi has led to the development of CareEdit, a tool that has advanced its assistance to oncologists and strengthening therapeutic facilities for every person living with cancer by a thorough evaluation of past recommendations and their repercussions if any. Henceforth, oncologists were able to devise top of the line course of therapy.

The retrospective approach worked wonders for oncologists and AI once again made a tremendous victory. The tool has already been deployed in Italy’s treatment centre for cancer patients and is further expected to assist in boosting the survival rate of cancer patients.
Beyond a doubt, it required comprehension of data management, involving the collection, repository, arrangement, and lineage and is an initial stride for triumph in healthcare.

Letting AI intervene
Artificial Intelligence is evolving in a way that instils in people its formidable facet. One example is that of a fitness app that has been developed to capacitate the individual to track his running exercise stats and availing the cognitive neuroscience to contrive the most appropriate coaching plan. The app was intended to provide impetus to a person’s fitness regime, a crossroad to sound health.
It is now a paramount concern of envisioning the further advancements wherein the study of AI would undertake the inspiring task of moving from the treatment of diseases to circumventing them. Is that even in the realms of possibility?

Abiding by the rule, “Eat well, exercise daily, and sleep tight” unequivocally helps in winning the battle against many horrifying disease conditions. The crux is to minimise the intervention of a medical professional or even a fitness trainer, and letting AI administer. Everyone must be made aware about the requisites of leading a healthy life. It is moving the focus from the finding the cure of diseases to preventing the causes of the same in the first place.

A Call for competence – Emergence of Wearables
The concept of wearables in healthcare has now evolved and is showcasing its unparalleled outcomes by tracking the fitness basics – nutrition, sleep, and physical activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week; the premise being If you can measure them, you can manage them.
Imagine an app that is proficient to note down the meals an individual has throughout a day, and is notified with better regimen by AI, which processes and collates the data.

Not assimilating the technical know-how or intricacy of backend processing, the app would be efficient enough to enfold the simplest feature such as tracking of macro and micro nutrients and the complex ones such as performing the in-depth tracking of every single meal together with the insights of the quality and portions of the meal. This functionality can then be extended to all the three fitness basics i.e. nutrition, sleep, and activity by the health conditions a person has, and a curated preventive fitness routine could be advised.

Artificial Intelligence can not only monitor data collected over years, but also aid in providing conclusive lifestyle changes that can be imperative to prevent life-threatening diseases like cancer. Hence, the world needs to delve deeper in unlocking the possibilities of AI and the technologies it can bring about in the field of healthcare.

(The article is authored by Aayushi Kishore, Co-founder and CMO, Boltt)