How hospitals can use AI without risking patient data

With the fast pace of adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital health systems in Indian hospitals, issues related to the security of patient data are also increasing at an equal rate.

- By Preeti Anand

In a recent interaction with Cybermedia, Surjeet Thakur, CEO, Trio Tree Technologies, shared insights on how hospitals can safely employ AI without negatively affecting privacy, drawing from his experience of closely collaborating with hospitals in the field of healthcare IT and digital transformation.

Who owns patient data in digital hospitals?

One of the first questions in the larger debate around AI-led healthcare transformation is rooted in everyday hospital operations: when patient records move from paper files to Al-powered digital systems, who actually owns that data?

Ownership, fundamentally, does not shift away from the patient. The data belongs to the individual whose medical history it represents. In a real hospital environment, a single patient file may be accessed by doctors, nurses, labs, pharmacies, and insurance desks. Hospitals store and manage this information, but they function only as custodians. This distinction becomes critical when Al tools analyze scans, lab reports, and medical histories for faster diagnosis.