How artificial intelligence is making diagnosis faster and more accurate

It addresses the shortage of radiologists and pathologists and frees up doctors to deal with complex cases

At Metropolis Healthcare in Mumbai, 60 per cent of pathology samples are analysed by doctors but, in a glimpse of how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we detect and treat disease, around 40 per cent of samples are processed by AI-based platforms.  

AI is helping to diagnose tuberculosis and cancer more accurately. In north-western Rajasthan’s Baran district, tech company Qure.ai teamed with the district hospital to deploy real-time testing of its AI-powered chest X-ray solution.

Reports suggest that there was a 33 per cent increase in the notification rate, and the number of drop-outs of presumptive cases fell from 72 per cent to 53 per cent.

The applications and use-cases are innumerable, and increasingly, the Indian health care scene is warming to AI-based diagnoses and interventions.

Nilesh Shah, president and chief of science and innovation at Metropolis Healthcare, says that several common tests such as complete blood count and even tests for autoimmune disorders can be done quickly and without errors using AI-enabled applications.

“The share of AI in diagnosis is only going to go up in future, and this will reduce the burden on doctors, who can devote their time to complex cases. Also, there is a huge cost benefit,” says Shah.

Access to radiologists

Some estimates suggest that around two-thirds of the people on earth do not have easy access to a radiologist. Technology and especially AI have been used to make sure that human expertise is leveraged in cases that need better attention in a faster way.

“AI helps to augment the efforts of physicians. It can do the repetitive tasks tirelessly and accurately. This does not mean it will replace a clinician, but today when there is a shortage of radiologists and pathologists, AI can act as a parallel tool,” says a Mumbai-based radiologist.

In the case of lung cancer, 35 per cent of the nodules are often missed in the initial screening and late diagnosis reduces the patient’s lifespan (about 75 per cent of lung cancer patients die within five years).

AI is also playing a role in disease intervention. Roche’s Accu-Chek Insight insulin pump supports automated insulin delivery. The pump is connected to a continuous glucose monitoring system. This algorithm analyses data in real time and decides whether to stop insulin delivery, adjust basal rate delivery, or deliver an automatic correction bolus when needed.

Med-tech companies are working round the clock to come up with AI-based solutions.

Arvind Vaishnav, head of Philips Innovation campus, Bengaluru, says that the Philips Innovation Campus in Bengaluru is working on customer insights to initiate front-end innovations.

Multiple strategic initiatives around AI, especially in the areas of precision diagnosis, radiology, cardiology, and maternal and child care are in the works at the campus.

“In 2021, we received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an AI-based application suite to improve the quality and accessibility of obstetric care in low- and middle-income countries, especially in underserved communities,” says Vaishnav.

The project aims to significantly reduce the number of women who lose their life as a result of pregnancy.

Vivek Kanade, managing director, Siemens Healthcare, explains what he thinks is one of AI’s biggest benefits. “We believe that one of the biggest advantages of AI in imaging-based medical diagnosis has been to help radiologists make a quantitative — not just a qualitative — assessment of the patient’s condition,” says Kanade.

Both Siemens and Philips have integrated AI across therapy areas like CT scans, MRI and ultrasound.

“While we do not expect AI-enabled applications and digital technology interfaces to replace offerings from medical specialists and staff in hospitals, the treatment will increasingly involve such technologies in most clinical procedures,” says Nitin Stephen Abel, business leader, image guided therapy, Philips Indian Subcontinent.

Most of these med-tech firms are developing what they call “clinical decision support” tools. Narendra Varde, managing director, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighbouring Markets, says they reduce the workload.

“AI-based clinical decision support tools reduce the clinician’s workload as well as provide for efficient data review and enhanced clinical documentation. Tumour board teams gain the opportunity to spend more time with patients and provide personalised health care,” says Varde.

As med-tech innovates with new solutions, end-user industries are increasingly using them for remote applications. Krsnaa Diagnostics is setting up a tele-pathology lab in Pune and is using AI100 to digitise its pathology labs. It has tied up with Bengaluru-based SigTuple, which combines robotics and AI, to use AI-powered technology to automate the manual microscopy process across its pathology network.

Globally, AI-assisted digital microscopy is the way forward in pathology. Digital microscopy is the process in which physical samples are digitally imaged through a microscopic lens. This makes it possible for pathologists to review them remotely, without having to ship samples to the reference laboratory, as digital conversion can happen at the site.

As AI becomes indispensable, the public sector is also warming to its potential. An AI-powered system has helped detect nearly 2,200 heart attacks across 12 districts in Maharashtra in little over a year. It is working in a hub-and-spoke manner where the rural or district hospitals are the spokes.

As with any new technology, there are risks. Global health agencies warned recently that certain insulin pumps were prone to cyber-attacks and hackers could potentially hamper insulin delivery by accessing the device.

Girish Raghavan, VP, Engineering, GE Healthcare, "AI has the potential to not only assist overburdened clinicians but also to lead the democratisation of healthcare. From EMRs to the endless possibilities that come with the potential of 5G, we are witnessing a new era in healthcare. For instance, 5G puts patients at the centre of the ecosystem, allowing them to benefit from the expertise of specialists located anywhere, not just at their location, so it becomes very patient-centric, versus clinician-centric."