How AI can be optimised for better healthcare

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming modern medicine, enabling more healthcare knowledge to reach patients who need it urgently. India, with its expanding but uneven healthcare system, faces a unique opportunity to leverage AI to improve patient care. By harnessing AI's capabilities, India can address challenges such as limited specialist care, long waiting times, and inefficient resource allocation.

In January 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised over 1,000 AI-enabled medical devices, including tools for radiology and cardiology diagnosis. The U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) followed suit, issuing guidance for AI-enabled ambient scribing, which has demonstrated the potential to provide doctors with additional patient time.

India's healthcare landscape presents distinct challenges, including concentrated specialist care in urban areas and the need for chronic disease monitoring over extended periods. Hospitals struggle to manage increasing patient volumes without proportionally expanding clinical capacity. AI tools can help prioritize radiology scans, alert care teams to deteriorating patients, and support physicians in complex cases, thereby optimizing existing capacity.

India has made significant progress in building the digital foundation required for AI adoption. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has linked over 100 crore health records, and the ABDM Scan and Share service has reduced outpatient registration wait times from around an hour to between two and five minutes. These improvements demonstrate that AI can enhance operational efficiency by reducing administrative burdens and streamlining processes.

AI also offers significant financial benefits, with the potential to reduce healthcare revenue-cycle costs by 30% to 60%. By automating tasks such as appointment scheduling, clinical documentation, claims processing, inventory management, and discharge management, AI frees up resources for clinical teams, equipment, and patient care.

Beyond cost savings, AI can extend healthcare services to remote areas, support preventive programs, and provide virtual specialist support. These advancements can lead to early detection, timely intervention, and improved patient outcomes. However, it is crucial to note that AI performance may vary across different healthcare settings, disease patterns, and patient populations. Clinical validation, representative data, and human oversight are essential to ensure AI tools' reliability and effectiveness.

As India celebrates another year of Independence, the conversation around AI in healthcare goes beyond technological adoption. It is about leveraging AI to enhance the overall well-being of its population. By making healthcare expertise widely available and focusing on earlier detection and continuous management, AI can contribute to India's economic development and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Ultimately, the true value of AI in healthcare lies in its ability to touch more lives and positively impact human happiness.