Ernst & Young (EY), a leading professional services organisation, has launched a report titled ‘Shaping the next generation of digital and data-driven healthcare and sustainable practices’. Given that the healthcare and life sciences industries have witnessed a major transition over the past few years, the report highlights critical aspects of digital technology, data, and sustainability in shaping the next generation of humanised healthcare.

The report talks about a shift towards intelligent health ecosystem to deliver personalised health experiences. As the world of healthcare data continues to expand, artificial intelligence (AI) offers a means to connect, combine and interrogate data differently and unlock actionable insights. The adoption of AI into care delivery will be a continuous learning process, in which healthcare algorithms continuously grow in intelligence and value.

This data-driven smart system will enable one to break down the silos between care settings and optimise decision-making across the patient journey. Most importantly, it will finally offer a way to deliver truly human-centric care. The clinicians of the future may indeed become medical engineers and will be trained in artificial intelligence, big data, robotics and other emerging technologies and disciplines.

The report also point out that technology can drive transformation across the pharma value chain. AI and machine learning (ML) can monitor in-line manufacturing processes to ensure the safety and quality of drugs. A digital twin can create a real time simulation of the entire manufacturing process. Such a ’digital factory’ can allow companies to track the processes in real time, anticipate and predict potential failures, optimise quality and productivity, and get treatments to patients much faster.

Suresh Subramanian, Partner & National Life Sciences Leader, EY India said, “The ubiquity of data and analytics is creating new opportunities for life sciences companies and health care service providers to rethink innovation and create personalized health outcomes. Platforms that connect, combine, and share data will be central enablers of this future value creation. As Indian companies prepare to shift from supplying commodities to supplying innovations, the role of new technology will become even more prominent in creating this integrated ecosystem.”