AI in Healthcare: Transformative Approaches in India

AI-Enabled Tuberculosis Screening

• A healthcare worker in Kurukshetra, Haryana, uses an AI-enabled app to record cough sounds for TB screening.
• The Cough Against TB app has screened around 1.62 lakh patients, leading to a 13% increase in TB diagnosis compared to traditional methods.
• Pilot deployment has commenced in 91 districts across 17 states, with validation by the ICMR underway.

AI Solutions in Remote Healthcare

• AI helps reach remote areas, enabling quicker diagnoses and improved treatment outcomes.
• Various programs incorporate AI, including breast cancer, non-communicable diseases, oral health, and dermatology screenings.

AI-Enabled X-ray Devices

• Portable AI-enabled X-ray devices are used in primary health centers lacking radiologists to detect TB before symptoms appear.
• 473 portable devices are deployed, with 1,500 more to be added, assisting in detecting approximately 2.85 additional asymptomatic cases.

Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)

• The government’s e-Sanjeevani telemedicine platform integrates AI to enhance diagnosis accuracy.
• AI recognizes 300 symptoms of common diseases, acting as a smart filter to reduce the workload on doctors.

AI in Disease Surveillance

• An AI model scans news articles in 13 languages for unusual disease clusters, enhancing alert generation by 150%.
• It allows officers to focus on response planning instead of data collection.

AI for Preventing Blindness

• AIIMS developed an AI-based fundus camera for early detection of diabetic retinopathy.
• The AI model integrates with existing cameras in primary health centers, focusing on patients likely to have the condition.