Impact of Digital Technology on Global Healthcare System among key debating issues at #FUTURE Summit

KOCHI:
The likelihood of digital technology making greater penetration in global healthcare system to enhance its quality, improve diagnostics, reduce costs and develop cutting edge competencies will be a riveting topic for panel discussion at #FUTURE, the two-day ground-breaking Global Digital Summit being held by the Kerala government here on March 22-23.
‘The Digital Future of Health & Sustainability’ is the topic for panel discussion, where experts will brainstorm on some extremely relevant issues like whether the change in the healthcare industry is driven by corporates or by consumers and the impact digital disruptions are making on medical tourism industry in developing countries like India.
The panel is to be addressed by five speakers — Dr. Ajith J Thomas, Professor, Harvard Medical School; Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder & Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare; Anuradha Acharya, Founder & CEO, Mapmygenome; Bhagvan Chougule, CTO & Co-Founder, Treeni Sustainability Solutions; and Prashanth Warrier, CEO, Qure.ai. Noted TV journalist Zakka Jacob will moderate the session.
The panelists will talk about the changes or disruptions that could impact the future of health and sustainability, specifically addressing issues like differences in business likely to be witnessed in the next 5-10 years and how such changes will impact the consumer in planning, purchasing, fulfillment and experience. In particular, the speakers will offer their insights on issues like the ability of healthcare industry to keep up with the changing patient expectations, and the role of digital innovations in improving transparency and making it more affordable.
Smartphone-based apps, conversational AI, robotic surgery, wearable devices, predictive analytics, Internet of Medical Things have now become an integral part of the digital disruption in healthcare, one of the world’s largest and most regulated industries. Telemedicine and online patient care has made location irrelevant. Digitization has helped physicians across the world gain access to a wealth of information across specialty.
“Digital innovation is going to revolutionize the industry in the next 5-10 years. I foresee a significant number of patients seeking primary consultation via telemedicine and more and more people seeking home monitoring of chronic diseases. The development of a variety of wearables will make this monitoring easy. We could also see remote surgeries using robots become more widespread,” says Dr. Azad Moopen.
Patient behaviour in experiencing healthcare services is also likely to see a major change, with lesser time spent on a doctor consultation, and most payments for services made online. The industry could also see the advent of systems and robots that provide information which will be much more accurate but less personal, replacing human interactions.
A survey of Telehealth Index suggests that 65 per cent of interactions with healthcare facilities in USA will be through mobile devices by end-2018. A Forbes research paper says that AI market for healthcare applications is likely to reach $ 6.6 billion by 2020-21. Chronic conditions like cancer and diabetes are expected to be diagnosed in minutes using cognitive systems that provide real time 3D images.
The panelists will deliberate on the need to reboot healthcare delivery by using big data to customize and personalize care programmes, transform patient engagement models, and inject greater efficacy in diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring. They will also discuss how their companies are planning to address this opportunity or challenge and how a state like Kerala can benefit from such opportunities.
The delegates of # FUTURE comprise senior executives of corporates, startup ventures, potential and existing entrepreneurs, trade body representatives, investors, technocrats, government officials, professionals, academicians, students and private individuals. Registration for the summit can be done at www.towardsfuture.in