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Srinagar: To revolutionise the healthcare system, the J&K government is planning to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the health sector.
The Health and Medical Education Department, Planning and Development Department, and other stakeholders would work together to ensure the successful integration of AI into the healthcare system.
For fast-tracking the process, the government recently appointed Dr Shafqat Khan, Additional Mission Director of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission in Jammu and Kashmir, as the Nodal Officer for the “Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Analysis of Hospital Management Information System Data”.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Dr Khan said that introducing AI in the health sector in J&K would be a “game changer”.
"We are starting the process soon. Our hospitals in J&K will be upgraded and equipped with the best technology. AI will bring in accuracy and precision in the medical diagnosis and treatment," he said.
Dr Khan said that the complexity and rise of data in healthcare means that AI would increasingly be applied within the field.
He said that payers and providers of care, and life sciences companies were already employing several types of AI.
"The key categories of applications involve diagnosis and treatment recommendations, patient engagement and adherence, and administrative activities. Although there are many instances in which AI can perform healthcare tasks as well or better than humans, implementation factors will prevent large-scale automation of healthcare professional jobs for a considerable period. Ethical issues in the application of AI to healthcare are also discussed," he said.
As per the officials, AI in healthcare could enhance preventive care and quality of life, produce more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans, and lead to better patient outcomes overall.
It can also predict and track the spread of infectious diseases by analysing data from a government, healthcare, and other sources
It also allows healthcare professionals to better understand the patterns and needs of their patients through in-depth data analysis
Besides that, all the websites of the H&ME and line departments would have an interactive platform on bot (bot is a software programme that performs automated, repetitive, pre-defined tasks).
“AI-based inputs will be generated about futuristic needs for health infrastructure. It will also be used for solutions in diagnostics like radiology and laboratory tests,” officials said.
They said that the information would be provided by the National Health Mission. “AI will be able to give solutions for curbing the menace of substance abuse including tobacco abuse. It can also help in COVID genome sequencing and predictions for the future,” they said.
AI in healthcare can be used for a variety of applications, including claims processing, clinical documentation, revenue cycle management, and medical records management.
Last year, the Department of Surgery, Government Medical College (GMC) virtually trained the surgeons for robotic-assisted surgeries in Kashmir.
A workshop on robotic surgery was organised by GMC Srinagar in collaboration with Open-Source Research Organisation in which more than 100 surgeons from across Kashmir participated.
Besides robot-assisted surgery, a two-day international workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology in Surgery and Medical Research was also organised.
