New Delhi: Various sectors are using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve processes and systems, and healthcare is one prominent area where this technology is improving service delivery.
Management consultancy ZS has been using AI to understand and help local communities across India with various treatments. In 2023, it carried out the Anaemia Project in Valsad to reduce anaemia at the community level by organising health check-up camps in remote areas. It partnered with Shrimad Rajchandra Sarvamangal Trust (a CSR initiative of the central and state governments) in 2023 for this. Through automation, Data management and analytics, ZS helped the foundation improve data quality and reduce time spent per patient by 15 percent. Repeat visits increased by 1.5 times and there was a 30 percent improvement in patient outcomes.
The initiative has made a difference in the lives of approximately 83,000 people in fiscal year 2023-2024, including adults, pregnant women, women of reproductive age, infants, and preschool- and school-aged children.
“When it comes to health equity, we continue to translate our passions into tangible impact to promote a healthier world for all,” said Rohit Bhagwat, CEO of the office and member of the ZS Global ESG Committee. “We remain committed to expanding our work to advance global health equityImproving access and care to underserved communities“expanding representation in clinical development and supporting legislation and regulation that improve access to health care.”
Artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, predictive modeling and other tools have been of immense value in driving data-driven and informed decision-making, he noted.
One of ZS’s ESG priorities is health equity, for which it is focusing on partnering with clients to deploy AI to detect and close gaps in access and care. In Pune, ZS India collaborated with Seva Arogya Foundation To improve the quality of life of people living in urban slums. It focused on providing treatments and Supporting health awareness for various diseases such as musculoskeletal problems, fungal infections, respiratory tract infections, female and male reproductive system infections.
Of the 601 women who were screened for anemia, 136 were found to have mild anemia, 139 had moderate anemia, 4 had severe anemia, and 322 had no anemia. With the help of analytics and automation, ZS helped the foundation treat these women and transition 106 women from mild anemia to nonanemia. Among the 139 women who were diagnosed with moderate anemia, 61 progressed to nonanemia, and 22 progressed to mild anemia. Of the remaining four women with severe anemia, two progressed to nonanemia, while the other two progressed to mild anemia.
“At ZS, our ESG goals are aligned with our core values of doing things right, treating people well and doing the right thing. Achieving our goals also requires responsible action at individual and operational levels to build a sustainable and better future for all, which is why we developed goals for the coming years to hold ourselves accountable as we move forward,” said Bhagwat.
In 2023, the company published a report with the World Economic Forum which analyzed more than 400 AI use cases and interviewed 50 world leaders in healthcare“The report concluded that to maximize the impact of AI in healthcare, data must be abundant and representative; applications must be scalable; and AI solutions must be designed with transparency and inclusion in mind. The latter requires comprehensive AI ethics and risk mitigation frameworks that reduce data bias,” it said.
AI has been largely used to detect and close health equity gaps. The development and deployment of AI capabilities are driving informed data-driven decision-making, thereby opening up alternative avenues for sustainable growth, Bhagwat added.
