CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Mr. Rustom Lawyer Co-Founder and CEO of Augnito
1. What do you see as the biggest health-tech trends in India currently, and how is AI shaping these trends?
The biggest health-tech trends in India currently are the adoption of AI-powered solutions, the establishment of a digital health infrastructure, and a drive towards personalized medicine. AI is shaping these trends by enabling healthcare providers to automate administrative tasks, analyze large amounts of data, and enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of services across the country.
To illustrate a little more, we’re seeing increased interest in and adoption of:
- Voice-based AI technologies for clinical documentation and decision support
- Telemedicine platforms enabling remote consultations and care delivery
- AI-powered diagnostic tools for early disease detection and personalized treatment plans
- Predictive analytics for population health management and resource allocation
Furthermore, the government’s initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission (ABDM) are accelerating the development of a robust digital health ecosystem. This includes:
- Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) for seamless data exchange
- Health Information Exchanges to facilitate interoperability
- Digital health ID systems for unique patient identification
2. How do you see the role of AI evolving in healthcare over the next decade, and what broader implications do you think it will have on the industry?
Over the next decade, AI will play a vital role in transforming healthcare by enhancing clinical decision-making, improving patient outcomes, and streamlining administrative tasks. The broader implications will be a more efficient, accessible, and personalized healthcare system. AI will also enable healthcare providers to focus on high-value tasks, leading to improved job satisfaction and reduced burnout. I’ve broken it down into some more key points below, to elaborate a little on the value addition for each sub-section.
Enhanced Clinical Decision Support
AI will become an indispensable tool for clinicians, providing:
- Real-time, evidence-based recommendations
- Automated risk stratification and early warning systems
- Personalized treatment plans based on individual patient data
Automated Administrative Tasks
AI will streamline healthcare operations by:
- Handling routine paperwork and billing processes – including clinical coding
- Optimizing resource allocation and scheduling
- Managing inventory and supply chain logistics
Advanced Diagnostics and Treatment We’ll see AI playing a crucial role in:
- Interpreting medical imaging with superhuman accuracy
- Developing novel drug therapies through machine learning
- Enabling robotic-assisted surgeries with greater precision
Personalized Patient Engagement
AI will transform patient experiences through:
- Virtual health assistants for 24/7 support
- Predictive analytics for proactive health interventions
- Tailored health education and behavior change programs
3. AI adoption is booming across various sectors, including healthcare. How do you see Vertical AI adoption transforming the healthcare industry, and what potential does it unlock for society?
Vertical AI adoption in healthcare will lead to the development of specialized AI solutions that cater to specific healthcare needs. As discussed above as well, this will unlock tremendous potential for society – including improved healthcare outcomes, increased access to healthcare services, and enhanced patient engagement.
Vertical AI solutions can boost specialized expertise by providing:
- Deep, contextual understanding of medical terminology and workflows
- Highly accurate and relevant insights for specialized medical fields
By automating routine tasks, vertical AI solutions can also improve efficiency, as it:
- Frees up healthcare professionals to focus on patient care
- Reduces administrative burdens and documentation errors
It can also greatly impact and enhance patient outcomes by:
- Enabling faster, more accurate diagnoses
- Facilitating personalized treatment plans based on vast datasets
For society, this transformation essentially means:
- More accessible and affordable healthcare
- Improved health outcomes and quality of life
- Reduced healthcare disparities (through AI-driven insights)
So, Vertical AI adoption in healthcare has the potential to create a more efficient, effective, and equitable healthcare system for all.
4. Can you share specific examples of how Augnito is utilizing AI to revolutionize healthcare processes and improve efficiency?
Augnito’s Medical Voice AI solutions have been successfully implemented at over 375 hospitals across 25+ countries. Our technology has enabled healthcare providers to reduce the burden of administrative tasks, improve documentation accuracy, and enhance patient care. For instance, our partnership with Apollo Hospitals resulted in a 21x return on investment and a 46% increase in overall productivity in just 6 months! Peruse the full case study, here.
Some of our standout features include:
- Advanced Multi-Lingual Speech Recognition
- 99% straight out of box accuracy, with no voice profile training requirements
- Support for over 55 medical specialties and subspecialties
- Seamless integrations and compatibility with all popular EMR, HIS, PAC, RIS systems
- Generative AI capabilities (Ambient Clinical Intelligence)
- Automated data structuring
- Customizable templates/macros
5. Can you walk us through the early days of Augnito? What were the first steps you took to turn your vision into a reality?
In 2001, at the age of 19, I co-founded Scribetech with Shiraz Austin. The company pioneered clinical documentation services within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as well as independent healthcare organizations in the region. As a natural progression from a medical
transcription BPO, we began developing Augnito as a cloud-based voice intelligence ten years ago. The future, as we saw it, was in a SaaS product suite that could augment clinician capabilities while also addressing the rampant burnout crisis. We saw an opportunity to leverage AI and voice technology specifically (due to its highly intuitive nature), to dramatically improve clinical workflows and give doctors more time for what matters most – caring for patients.
Co-designed by physicians & AI scientists, Augnito was born with the aim of combining human- centric design and cutting-edge technology to help institutions establish a strong backbone for a centralized healthcare infrastructure. By enabling improved efficiency, shorter turnaround times, fewer clinical errors and ultimately, the ability to provide better patient care – we envisioned the creation of a truly doctor-centric virtual assistant.
Augnito was created to ensure a seamless flow of information within a complex global healthcare infrastructure. The goal remains to essentially oversee the maintenance of interoperable, detailed digital health records—which can be updated with accuracy and ease. And the key to this is developing a technological backbone that will enable the seamless exchange of this data across a multitude of stakeholders—from say a remote village-based clinic, to the cutting-edge laboratories of leading hospitals.
6. With the increasing demand on healthcare providers due to the low doctor- patient ratio in India, how can AI-driven solutions enhance efficiency and patient care, and are you seeing a shift toward fully digital and paperless systems in hospitals?
I think we’ve covered how AI solutions enhance efficiency and overall patient care in some of the previous answers. However, I would add that truly paperless systems within the labyrinthian Indian healthcare ecosystem is still a thing of the future. But yes, India is increasingly welcoming AI technology in healthcare. A recent survey found that 73% of healthcare organizations in India have adopted AI solutions. However, understandably, and much like in the international markets, there is still some skepticism around data privacy and the need for human oversight. Overall, however, the market is growing rapidly, with AI expenditure in India expected to reach $11.78 billion by 2025 and add $1 trillion to India’s economy by 2035, as per a World Economic Forum (WEF) report.
7. How do you balance the need for global expansion with the challenges of maintaining a consistent brand and product quality across different regions?
At Augnito, we believe in maintaining a strong cultural pillar of human-centricity, which enables us to deliver high-quality solutions across different regions. We’ve established a robust Customer Success function that demonstrates and measures the outcomes achieved for our clients. This approach has helped us maintain a consistent brand and product quality as we expand globally.
We also adapt our products to meet local healthcare regulations and language requirements, while maintaining core functionality. There are rigorous quality assurance processes implemented across all regions to ensure consistent product performance.
Also, while we tailor solutions for different markets, our core technology and product development remain centralized to ensure consistency. We continuously monitor product performance and user feedback across all regions to maintain high standards globally and ensure that our brand messaging and product features are culturally appropriate for each market we enter. Finally, we also collaborate with local healthcare providers and technology partners to better understand and serve each market’s unique needs.
8. Multimodal AI is making our interactions with devices more seamless and intuitive. How is Augnito incorporating multimodal AI into its solutions, and what benefits does this bring to healthcare professionals and patients?
At Augnito, we believe that voice is the most intuitive means of communication for humans. That’s why we’re incorporating multimodal AI into our solutions, with a focus on voice-based interactions. Our Ambient Clinical Intelligence (ACI) technology is a prime example of this. ACI enables the creation of structured EMR data from unstructured, natural conversations between physicians and patients. This innovative technology uses artificial intelligence to transcribe conversations in real- time, with absolute accuracy, and generates a structured SOAP note that includes chief complaints, medical history, diagnoses, recommended plan of care, prescriptions, and details of the follow-up appointment, among others.
We’re essentially making it easier for healthcare professionals to interact with our platform. This brings numerous benefits, including improved user experience, enhanced accessibility, and increased efficiency. Our solutions are always designed to simplify healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.
For instance, our ACI technology allows physicians to focus on patient care while our AI-powered solution handles clinical documentation in the background. This not only reduces administrative burdens but also enables physicians to provide more personalized and compassionate care to their patients. By leveraging intuitive AI, we’re empowering healthcare professionals to work more efficiently and effectively, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
- How do you plan to keep Augnito at the forefront of AI-driven healthcare solutions, and what are your future plans?
Our latest offering – Ambient Clinical Intelligence (ACI) – is set to be a true game-changer in the healthcare industry. It enables the creation of structured EMR data from an unstructured, natural conversation between a physician and a patient. This innovative technology uses artificial intelligence to transcribe the conversation in real-time, with absolute accuracy, and generates a structured SOAP note that includes chief complaints, medical history, diagnoses, recommended plan of care, prescriptions, and details of the follow-up appointment, among others.
Furthermore, voice biomarkers have shown great promise in detecting various ailments, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and COVID-19. Research has demonstrated that an analysis of these subtle markers – such as changes in speech patterns and vocal characteristics like intonation – can help detect early signs of these ailments. This is extremely exciting for enabling early interventions and treatments, remote patient monitoring, and personalized care, among others.
I’d also like to emphasize that AI in healthcare is not about replacing human expertise but augmenting it. Our vision at Augnito is to empower healthcare professionals with tools that allow them to work more efficiently and focus on what they do best – providing compassionate, high- quality patient care. We’re committed to continuous innovation and collaboration with healthcare providers to shape the future of medical practice in India and beyond.
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