Apollo Hospitals to Introduce AI to Automate Tasks & Reduce Staff Workload

Reportedly, it has allocated 3.5% of its digital budget to AI over the past two years and plans to increase this percentage this year.

In a major move, Apollo Hospitals has recently announced to introduce AI tools to automate routine tasks such as medical documentation and to enhance diagnostic accuracy. 

The hospital giant is ramping up its investment in artificial intelligence to reduce the heavy workload of its doctors and nurses. 

Reportedly, it has allocated 3.5% of its digital budget to AI over the past two years and plans to increase this percentage this year.

Apollo's AI tools, which are still in the experimental phase, will analyze patients' electronic medical records to suggest diagnoses, tests, and treatments. 

They will assist in transcribing doctors' observations, speeding up the creation of discharge summaries, and generating daily schedules based on nurses' notes.

Sharing thoughts, Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, said, "Our aim is to free up two to three hours of time daily for doctors and nurses with AI interventions."

The hospital chain, which operates over 10,000 beds, also plans to develop an AI tool to aid clinicians in prescribing effective antibiotics. With a nurse attrition rate currently at 25%, it is projected to rise to 30% by the end of fiscal 2025. Apollo aims to alleviate some of the pressure on its staff.

Indian hospitals, such as Fortis Healthcare and Tata Memorial Hospital, are also adopting AI; however, they reportedly face challenges such as high costs and data integration issues.

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