In the future, healthcare may involve algorithm-based personalised medication, robots to look after dementia and elderly patients, digital health avatars created by medical trackers, and more, according to a digital health whitepaper by technology think tank iSPIRT. The paper, released on November 26 in collaboration with Itihaasa, a not-for-profit studying Indian businesses, looks at Indian and international developments in digital health to lay down trend predictions in both the local and global contexts. It laid down seven predictions for the global digital health sector and suggested possible scenarios within India's National Digital Health Ecosystem. iSPIRT is an active player in Indian e-governance, with involvement in payments as well as digital health schemes. Observations and research put out by the organisation can be seen as a precursor to other policy developments. Scenarios for digital health in India Artificial Intelligence improving maternal health: The paper presented a scenario where a pregnant woman in a village improves her nutrition intake by taking pictures of her meals through an app, which calculates its calories and cross-verifies it with the diet plan set for her by a city-based doctor. The scenario also involves the woman using telemedicine to consult with the doctor, using the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission's personal health records app, consent manager, and Unique Health ID in the process. 'Surgery-as-a-service': By 2040, iSPIRT has predicted, Indian doctors will be able to offer 'surgeries-as-a-service' to patients world-wide through robots, 5G Technology, standardised electronic health records, data sharing protocol agreements, and more. Simulations for public health:…
