AI is revolutionising healthcare by improving diagnostics, streamlining patient records, and assisting in surgeries. From early disease detection to optimising treatment plans, AI empowers doctors with advanced tools for better decision-making. Hospitals and clinics are increasingly adopting AI-driven tools to manage patient records efficiently, optimise treatment plans, and even perform robotic-assisted surgeries with greater precision.
As AI continues to evolve, a common question arises: Will AI replace doctors? Rather than replacing them, AI serves as a powerful ally, enabling healthcare professionals to make more accurate and timely decisions. By automating routine processes and providing data-driven insights, AI reduces physicians' workload, allowing them to focus more on patient interaction and personalised care.
Impact of AI
India is facing a shortage of medical professionals, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a doctor-population ratio of 1:1000, but in many such regions, the ratio is significantly lower, estimated to be around 1.03 doctors per 1000 people.
Additionally, according to Rural Health Statistics, there is a shortfall of 3,244 doctors at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs). This shortage makes access to timely and adequate medical care a challenge for many. Artificial Intelligence can play a crucial role in bridging this gap by assisting doctors in diagnosing diseases, recommending treatments, and managing patient records more efficiently.
AI-powered systems are already making an impact in medical diagnosis. For example, AI has been used to detect breast cancer more accurately. A study found that radiologists using AI identified breast cancer at a rate of 6.7 per 1,000 screenings, compared to 5.7 per 1,000 without AI assistance. This means AI can help doctors detect diseases earlier, leading to better treatment options and improved survival rates.
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Radiologists using AI identified breast cancer at a rate of 6.7 per 1,000 screenings, compared to 5.7 per 1,000 without AI assistance
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AI as an Expert Companion
AI is not replacing doctors but working with them to enhance healthcare. AI-powered systems assist in surgeries, diagnostics, and clinical decision-making by analysing vast amounts of medical data and suggesting potential diagnoses. This allows doctors to focus more on patient care and critical decisions.
AI also plays a vital role in chatbots, apps, and software, streamlining administrative tasks such as appointment scheduling, medical record management, and billing. By handling these time-consuming responsibilities, AI enables doctors to focus on direct patient care. As per Statista report,The Indian Artificial Intelligence (AI) market size is projected to reach around $6.26 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 28.63 per cent until 2030, reaching a market volume of $28.36 billion by then.
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AI-powered systems assist in surgeries, diagnostics, and clinical decision-making by analysing vast amounts of medical data and suggesting potential diagnoses. This allows doctors to focus more on patient care and critical decisions
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AI in Diagnosis
AI helps doctors diagnose diseases faster and more accurately by analysing patient data, medical history, and test results. It detects patterns that humans may miss, aiding in early disease detection. For example, AI can quickly analyze medical images and ECGs to spot conditions like heart attacks. This saves doctors’ time, allowing them to focus on critical cases and patient care.
Heartnet India has launched an advanced AI-integrated portable ECG monitor that enables real-time remote cardiac monitoring. Weighing just 14-18 grams, this battery-free device offers seamless connectivity, allowing instant ECG report sharing via email or cloud storage. With an accuracy rate of 99.7 per cent, it ensures reliable diagnostics, aiding timely interventions and treatment adjustments.
Vineet Mehta- CTO & Co-founder, Alyve Health, stated, “AI can help streamline advanced and faster diagnosis and treatment workflows to allow time for healthcare providers to focus on structuring a patient-centric care.”
AI in clinical decision-making
As per NIH report, AI is transforming clinical decision-making by enhancing diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcome prediction. It personalises medicine, optimises drug dosages, and establishes evidence-based guidelines. AI-driven virtual assistants support providers and patients, while mental health tools aid early detection and intervention. By improving patient education and engagement, AI strengthens trust and efficiency in healthcare, making decision-making faster, more accurate, and accessible.
Dr Kushal Agrawal, HOD, Department of Neonatology and Paediatrics, KVR Hospital, Kashipur, stated “In the field of treatment planning, AI is an expert companion, not a stand-in for human expertise. By combining clinical guidelines, genomic data, and patient medical histories, AI systems can provide data-driven recommendations on the most effective treatments for physicians.”
AI in Surgery
AI is making surgeries more precise and efficient. In joint replacements, AI-driven 3D imaging helps doctors choose the right implant, position it accurately, and determine precise bone cuts for a well-balanced joint.
Before surgery, AI creates digital models for better planning and predicts outcomes based on patient data. It also improves decision-making by enhancing tissue removal precision, reducing surgery time, and increasing efficiency. A new AI model can even deliver accurate intraoperative diagnoses in under 40 minutes, helping doctors make quick, informed decisions.
Recently, the Vattikuti Foundation’s symposium showcased AI’s success in surgery, improving precision, predicting outcomes, and enhancing decision-making through data-driven insights. Experts highlighted how AI-driven techniques, including 3D-augmented reality and robotics, are making surgeries safer, faster, and more efficient.
AI - The New age doctor
AI-driven smartphone apps are revolutionising healthcare, acting as virtual doctors for those with limited access to medical facilities. These apps monitor health, provide instant advice, remind users to take medications, and alert them when urgent care is needed - all at the touch of a button.
One such app making a significant impact is HealthifyMe, an AI-powered health and fitness platform that helps users track their diet and receive personalised health recommendations. With features like calorie tracking, activity monitoring, and AI-driven coaching through ‘Ria’, a virtual nutritionist, HealthifyMe enables users to take proactive steps toward a healthier lifestyle.
AI Softwares
Digital solutions are transforming the way doctors manage their practices. There are new softwares in healthcare that are transforming healthcare by helping doctors streamline their practice, reduce paperwork, and focus more on patient care.
HealthPlix, a leading EMR software, simplifies doctors' workflow, speeds up report writing, and automates administrative tasks, making practice management effortless. By bringing digital healthcare to doctors across India, including remote areas, HealthPlix ensures better, faster, and more efficient patient care.
AI-driven healthcare chatbots powered by NLP automate administrative tasks, provide 24/7 patient support, and enhance doctor-patient communication. They streamline appointment scheduling, document management, and symptom analysis, reducing paperwork and saving up to 30 per cent of doctors’ time. By extracting insights from medical data, NLP improves efficiency and supports better decision-making.
CLIRNET, a growing doctor community, has launched AiDA, an AI-powered Doctor’s Assistant, to aid medical practitioners in clinical decision-making. Built on OpenAI’s platform, AiDA leverages machine learning and NLP to provide accurate, real-time diagnosis support, minimising human error. The AI assistant streamlines medical workflows, allowing doctors to focus more on patient care while improving treatment accuracy.
AI-driven healthcare chatbots powered by NLP automate administrative tasks, provide 24/7 patient support, and enhance doctor-patient communication. They streamline appointment scheduling, document management, and symptom analysis, reducing paperwork and saving up to 30 per cent of doctors’ time.
Skepticism amongst clinicians
As the healthcare industry explores the integration of AI technology, several challenges remain that must be addressed for successful adoption.
Dr. Agrawal addressed concerns about the technical hurdles AI faces in healthcare, noting that health data is often unstructured and inconsistent across systems, making model training difficult. He also mentioned that AI algorithms can produce “black frames,” leading to mistrust among clinicians. While addressing these challenges, Dr Agrawal emphasised the need for data standardisation, user-friendly design, and interpretable AI to foster trust and smooth integration into clinical workflows.
To integrate AI seamlessly into healthcare, we need standardized data, user-friendly AI interfaces, and models that provide clear explanations for their outputs. AI should complement clinical workflows, not disrupt them. Even the most accurate AI tool will fail if it is not aligned with practical healthcare operations.
Mehta stated, “Significant technical challenges are remaining, such as upholding data privacy and eliminating algorithmic bias. The most important consideration is ethical; we must deliver patient-centred care, and that the human element of medical practice is never forfeited.”
The rapid growth of AI technology comes with a heavy price tag. Analysts predict that spending on AI systems, which reached nearly $118 billion in 2022, will surpass $300 billion in the coming years. However, the high costs associated with developing and maintaining AI technology pose a significant challenge, particularly for hospitals and healthcare sectors. Additionally, strict regulations and approval processes further slow down the adoption of AI in medical settings.
Challenges and Ethical Concerns
AI has revolutionized healthcare by improving diagnostics, streamlining administrative tasks, and enhancing patient outcomes. However, despite these advantages, several challenges remain. One major concern is the lack of human touch. Medicine is not just about analysing data and diagnosing illnesses; it involves understanding patients’ emotions, building trust, and providing comfort. While AI can assist with efficiency, it cannot replicate the empathy and reassurance offered by human doctors.
Dr Agrawal stated, “The nuances of patient care, such as emotional well-being, cultural considerations, and personal preferences, require a human touch. Experienced clinicians need to determine AI predictions and can weigh intangible factors and adapt to individual needs.”
As per NIH report, one major issue in recent years is the protection of patient privacy when AI is used in healthcare. If patient data is not kept secure, it can lead to serious problems like discrimination in jobs and higher long-term healthcare costs.
In the past, medical records were stored on paper, and privacy was mainly about keeping patient information confidential within hospitals and clinics. But today, most medical data is stored digitally and shared electronically. This makes it part of a larger, more flexible system where data is used for many different purposes. Since AI in healthcare depends on collecting and analysing patient data, protecting privacy has become more complicated. With information being easier to share and even profitable, the risk of data misuse is higher than ever.
Dr Agrawal has highlighted the ethical and regulatory challenges of using AI in healthcare. He emphasised the importance of patient data protection, noting that strict laws govern how health information is handled. He also pointed out that AI models can be biased based on the data they are trained on, stressing the need for efforts to ensure fair and equal healthcare benefits for all.
AI in Healthcare: A balanced approach
As per NIH reports, AI can improve healthcare, but it also has risks like biased data, security threats, and ethical concerns. If AI learns from bad data, it can make unfair decisions, such as prioritising some patients over others. There are also dangers like deepfakes and fake medical research. However, AI can be safely used with the right checks - clear rules, human supervision, and ethical safeguards. The key is to neither fear nor blindly trust AI but to use it wisely for better healthcare.
The Future: AI and Doctors Working Together
The future of healthcare is not about AI replacing doctors but about AI collaborating with them. AI can handle data processing and routine administrative tasks, while doctors focus on complex decision-making, patient interactions, and ethical considerations.
Governments, healthcare institutions, and technology developers must work together to ensure that AI is implemented safely and ethically. The goal should not be to replace human doctors but to enhance their ability to provide high-quality care.
Doctors who do not use AI may struggle to keep up with advancements in healthcare. They won’t be replaced by AI itself, but by other doctors or medical professionals who know how to use AI effectively.
Dr Agrawal stated, “Looking ahead, the synergy between AI and human clinicians is likely to redefine the standard of care. Physicians who leverage AI can manage administrative tasks more efficiently, stay updated on the latest clinical evidence, and offer patients more targeted interventions. Rather than replacing doctors, AI can free them to focus on higher-order thinking, empathy, and ethical judgment. The future of healthcare depends on partnerships that responsibly develop AI solutions that ensure patients benefit from advanced technology without sacrificing the fundamental human element of medicine. Working together, doctors and artificial intelligence can foster a new era of patient-centered, data-driven.”
AI is a powerful tool, but healthcare is a fundamental human science. While AI can improve efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility, the core of medicine—compassion, trust, and ethical responsibility—will always require human doctors. The future of medicine is not a battle between AI and doctors but a partnership that ensures better, faster, and more affordable healthcare for all.
