‘Artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve patient outcomes’

Advancements in AI and medical technology improving patient outcomes and personalized medication, discussed at Sapiens Health Foundation event.

Advancement in technology will bring about better diagnosis and treatment for diseases, R. Krishna Kumar, faculty at the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M), said on Tuesday.

Speaking on ‘Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Kidney Disease’ at an event organised by Sapiens Health Foundation, he said tools such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) could improve patient outcomes. “For people who are very sick, AI can help fine tune the type of clinical procedure that can be adopted,” he said.

Mr. Kumar said medical technology was moving towards making life easier for doctors. Currently, technologies, such as the fundus scope, help doctors analyse images that are converted from an ultrasound or MRI. For instance, ultrasound images can be converted into an MRI to enable a doctor to plan a procedure, he added.

“We are working with the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research to plan difficult surgeries. AI and ML can help doctors approach a tumour without damaging the other parts of the body. One of the reasons for forming the department at IIT-M is to help doctors,” he said.

High-resolution imaging techniques ease doctors’ job when planning a surgery. The department is also working on digital twins, which will help a doctor create a digital model of a patient to plan treatment options, Mr. Kumar added. The department has also used the technology and performed virtual surgeries for congenital heart diseases to predict outcomes.

“AI reduces the surgical procedures to mathematical formulae, which can be solved on a computer. Mechanistic models are solved to determine the outcome,” he said.

“The future of AI is personalised medication for each patient. A dataset of millions of copies of individuals based on thousands of disease molecules is developed. The doctor can then use this information to tailor the treatments for each patient. From the computer output, doctors will know if the drug they chose will be appropriate for the patient,” said Mr. Kumar.