Al usage is higher in prevention and management

In the session "Role of Al in Health Tech", innovators in the healthcare sector gave their insights on the role of Artificial Intelligence in every stage of healthcare from clinical trials to diagnosis to treatment and also the impact of technology in treating mental health

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Niranjan Subbarao, Co-founder, Cyclops Medtech, said Al is evolving in developing drugs and diagnosis. We are using eye tracking, computer vision, and Al/ML to build diagnostic and therapeutic products in the areas of neurotology, and ENT and audiology. The core product captures and analyzes the eye movements. It helps the neurologists and ENT specialists find out the underlying root cause behind dizziness. A stroke or tumor in the brain can also cause dizziness. It is important that a thorough, differential diagnosis is done, and the root cause is put in two different buckets.

We extensively use computer vision to analyze the pupil's image. We also have a consumer version of the product. We are using deep learning to make a model. We can map the eye movement and arrive at diagnostics. When it comes to actual interpretation of the eye movement, we are building ML models to help clinicians connect the dots.

In the healthcare scenario, it is important to analyze the patient's journey. There are four stages-detection, intervention, prevention, and management. There is a definite requirement of Al-based apps. Al usage is higher when we get to prevention and management. As we get to detection and intervention, it starts reducing.

Ravi Chivukula, CEO, Hearthealth, said that the use of Al needs repeatability and accuracy in diagnostics. We are using it in imaging analysis. We go for second opinion to ensure the diagnostics taken by one doctor is correct. Also, there are overloaded health systems today. How many doctors are there today? In India, there is GDP spend of under 2%, and so, we have a huge shortage. Al can provide some assistance as support in remote locations for telehealth environments. Going into the drug discovery phase, it modifies the metabolism.