Healthcare firms tie AI adoption to clinical results

IHH says AI should cut the admin burden and support patient care beyond hospital walls.

Asian healthcare providers must use AI to improve clinical outcomes, reduce administrative burden and follow patients beyond hospital walls, rather than treat the technology as a trend, according to Kwok Quek Sin, Group Chief Business Technology Officer at IHH Healthcare.

Speaking at the Asian Summit on Global Health, Quek Sin said AI is now a common theme at healthcare conferences, but adoption should be tied to patient, care and business needs. “We look at technology, including AI, more as an enabler, not as an end in itself,” he said.

For hospitals, the test is whether technology improves clinical outcomes, clinical operations and business operations. Quek Sin said providers must also use digital tools to deliver high-quality care at a reasonable price by controlling costs and improving efficiency.

Patient behaviour has also shifted since the pandemic. Quek Sin said COVID made more people comfortable with digital tools, but expectations have moved beyond basic use. Patients now want a seamless digital experience, better information and more involvement in clinical care decisions with doctors.

That shift requires healthcare providers to embed intelligence into digital platforms so patients can be informed and engaged throughout the care journey, rather than only during hospital visits.

Ageing societies are also pushing healthcare away from episodic hospital treatment towards a wider continuum covering preventive health, hospital care and post-care support. Kwok said this requires stronger digital and data platforms to enable continuous care delivery across settings.

Quek Sin also rejected the view that AI will remove the human factor from healthcare. “I think that AI would enhance a more human-centered care,” he said. Clinicians and nurses spend too much time on administrative work, including documentation, instead of direct care, making automation a way to return time to patients.

AI can also support better clinical pathways and more consistent care. “I also believe that in the future, hospitals will no longer be a place, a physical place,” Kwok said. “It is more a digital environment where we follow the patients through the journey of care, whether in the hospitals or outside the hospital.”