Big data and predictive analytics: Disrupting Indian healthcare space

Nirmalya Gupta, MD and Dhrubabrata Ghosh, Director, Protiviti Member Firm for India highlight how adoption of these disruptive technologies in healthcare will help in critical decision making as well as improve patient management and treatment outcomes

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THE DATA management landscape in therapeutic research within the healthcare delivery in India is set to undergo radical changes in the near future. Whilst it is still at a nascent stage, some developments have already been initiated and the pace is set for acceleration very soon. Major hospitals, healthcare providers, pharma giants and R&D centres are utilising big data and predictive analytics in their critical decision making. Clinical developments, real-time alerting, telemedicine, 3D printing and use of real time data in clinical trials are some of the changes that are happening within the industry. Many healthcare providers are using electronic health records to develop databases for interoperability and future use. A premier healthcare provider in India has already embarked upon the journey of utilising artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in patient - management, clinical prescriptions suggestions and patient health predictions. Another major provider is currently in partnership with Microsoft to create an AI-focussed network for cardio related diseases. With the development of these AI tools and real world data, the provider will be able to gauge risk of heart diseases in patients at an early stage in hope of preventing or reversing these life-threatening conditions. Some of the healthcare providers have started using IBM Watson Health for disease identification and drug prescription.