AI is transforming preventive healthcare, especially for seniors, by predicting health issues before they arise. Startups like Khyaal, Primus Senior Living, and Kites Senior Care are using AI to create personalised health plans and track vital signs. However, challenges remain in AI's acceptance, particularly in battling social isolation.In the 2002 Steven Spielberg sci-fi thriller Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise, the police are able to prevent crimes before they occur, thanks to three clairvoyant human beings, called precogs, who are able to foresee future events. While that sci-fi world, born from author Philip K. Dick's vivid imagination, is far from reality, artificial intelligence (AI) is taking giant strides to make precognition very real, and in a good way, through preventive care.
Rather than waiting for symptoms to appear and then commencing treatment, preventive care is an approach to healthcare that focuses on preventing illnesses before they can occur. This also helps patients (and health insurers), by keeping their outgo low instead of having to spend huge sums on medical treatments and procedures.
Many senior care startups have already begun using machine learning tools to create preventive healthcare plans that anticipate and address potential health issues in customers. For instance, Khyaal, Primus Senior Living and Kites Senior Care are recharging their AI kits to introduce chatbots for triage, and tools to track the vitals of seniors with more accuracy.
Tracking tools
Primus Senior Living, backed by General Catalyst and Nikhil Kamath's Gruhas, will use AI to create preventive healthcare plans for seniors. "We will build data sets out of all the markers of health -- physical markers, blood reports, community and psychosocial health -- and feed this into AI, which will actively run the preventive plans, and show us underlying conditions and help us detect issues in early stages," founder and CEO Adarsh Narahari told ET.
Khyaal, which already uses its digital platforms to provide a range of services for senior citizens aged 55 and above, is using AI to gather vital data and study patterns in its users' health.
"From the perspective of data gathering, AI is very helpful. Our team talks to patients and gets information. But AI can help read patterns uniquely and come up with exact needs for every patient," said CEO Hemanshu Jain.
Building the data sets
While some startups rely on traditional data collection methods, others are using technology to streamline and enhance this process.
Last month, Ranjan Pai-backed Kites Senior Care launched an app along with a wearable device, designed for real-time tracking of older citizens' vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, sleep patterns and steps. Kites already possesses the medical records and history of its patients.
"Preventive care is the next major way that AI can help in disseminating care," said Kites founder Rajagopal, adding that it would help drive down costs for patients as well. He explained that the company uses AI to study data patterns and determine the overall wellness of a patient and impending ailments, and start course-correcting. "If a person is predicted to have a neurodegenerative disease a year down the line, we will include more physical activities in their care," Raj said.
Samarth Care, another startup in the space, which touts itself as an early adopter of AI, said its focus is preventive healthcare, early detection and reducing the risk of hospitalisation.
"AI is ultimately a statistical tool. We prioritise AI in using predictive analytics, rather than when seniors have to interact with the technology. One major area with opportunity is using AI in learning for senior citizens," founder and chief executive Asheesh Gupta said.
"Our analysis so far is that elders are not happy talking with AI. But the speed with which technology is going, one frontier for AI in senior care will be interaction," he added.
Battling loneliness
One of the key use cases for AI in geriatric care is to battle social isolation. Narahari said Primus Senior Living is building an AI companion -- a digital friend -- for seniors, optimistic about the older population's acceptance of technology. "Younger elders coming into the community are into using technology and are much more proficient at it. We are also surprised by the number of elders who want to interact with technology," he said.
However, echoing Gupta, Khyaal's Jain said some patients may find these conversations unnatural. "The end-user may not like being subject to AI. Conversational bots work to an extent, but seniors find such interactions to be inhuman. AI voice chats creep them out," he explained.
