Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration in health communication represents a pivotal area of study with immense possibilities to strengthen healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This chapter investigates the integration of AI into healthcare communication in India, highlighting its interchanging role in improving efficiency and inclusivity. AI technologies aid healthcare professionals by streamlining decision-making processes, improving diagnostics, and automating routine tasks like discharge summaries, thereby reducing workload and allowing greater focus on critical patient care. Moreover, AI helps overcome barriers related to language, literacy, and accessibility, making healthcare services more inclusive and effective. Despite its advantages, the widespread adoption of AI in Indian healthcare faces challenges such as ethical dilemmas, data privacy concerns, infrastructural limitations, and unclear legal frameworks. The chapter emphasizes the importance of public involvement to ensure culturally and socially appropriate AI solutions while safeguarding patient privacy and adhering to ethical principles. Using practical examples, it explores the revolutionary perspective of AI in doctor-patient communication, internal healthcare operations, and patient interactions. This review underscores the need for responsible development and deployment of AI in Indian healthcare to harness its benefits while addressing its challenges effectively, ultimately shaping the future of healthcare communication in India.

Keywords

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Communication
  • Health Sector
  • India
  • Healthcare communication

References

  1. Xu, Y., Liu, X., Cao, X., Huang, C., Liu, E., Qian, S., Liu, X., Wu, Y., Dong, F., Qiu, C.-W., Qiu, J., Hua, K., Su, W., Wu, J., Xu, H., Han, Y., Fu, C., Yin, Z., Liu, M., Roepman, R., Dietmann, S., Virta, M., Kengara, F., Zhang, Z., Zhang, L., Zhao, T., Dai, J., Yang, J., Lan, L., Luo, M., Liu, Z., An, T., Zhang, B., He, X., Cong, S., Liu, X., Zhang, W., Lewis, J.P., Tiedje, J.M., Wang, Q., An, Z., Wang, F., Zhang, L., Huang, T., Lu, C., Cai, Z., Wang, F., Zhang, J., Artificial intelligence: A powerful paradigm for scientific research. Innov, 2,4, 100179, 2021.
  2. De Togni, G., Erikainen, S., Chan, S., Cunningham-Burley, S. Beyond the hype: β€˜acceptable futures’ for AI and robotic technologies in healthcare. AI Soc, 39, 4, 2009–2018, 2023.
  3. Horgan, D., Romao, M., MorrΓ©, S.A., Kalra, D., Artificial Intelligence: Power for Civilisation – and for Better Healthcare. Public Health Genomics, 22, 145–161, 2019.
  4. Forbes, How Is AI Used In Healthcare - 5 Powerful Real-World Examples That Show The Latest Advances, https://shorturl.at/4bacl, 2021.
  5. Harvard Business Review, 10 Promising AI Applications in Health Care, https://hbr.org/2018/05/10-promising-ai-applications-in-health-care, 2021.
  6. McKinsey & Company, The era of exponential improvement in healthcare?, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/the-era-of-exponential-improvement-in-healthcare, 2019.
  7. Aceto, G., Persico, V., PescapΓ©, A., The role of Information and Communication Technologies in healthcare: taxonomies, perspectives, and challenges. J Netw Comput Appl, 107, 125–154, 2018.
  8. Sharkiya, S.H., Quality communication can improve patient-centered health outcomes among older patients: a rapid review. BMC Health Serv Res, 23, 2023.
  9. Sun, G., Zhou, Y.-H., AI in healthcare: navigating opportunities and challenges in digital communication. Front Digit Health, 5, 2023.
  10. Alowais, S.A., Alghamdi, S.S., Alsuhebany, N., Alqahtani, T., Alshaya, A.I., Almohareb, S.N., Aldairem, A., Alrashed, M., Saleh, K.B., Badreldin, H.A., Yami, M.S.A., Harbi, S.A., Albekairy, A.M., Revolutionizing healthcare: the role of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. BMC Med Educ, 23, 2023.
  11. Bajwa, J., Munir, U., Nori, A., Williams, B., Artificial intelligence in healthcare: transforming the practice of medicine. Future Healthc J, 8, e188–e194, 2021.
  12. Buch, V.H., Ahmed, I., Maruthappu, M., Artificial intelligence in medicine: current trends and future possibilities. Br J Gen Pract, 68, 143–144, 2018.
  13. De Angelis, L., Baglivo, F., Arzilli, G., Privitera, G.P., Ferragina, P., Tozzi, A.E., Rizzo, C., ChatGPT and the rise of large language models: the new AI-driven infodemic threat in public health. Front Public Health, 11, 2023.
  14. Ahuja, M., Aseltine, R., Jr., Barriers to Dissemination of Local Health Data Faced by US State Agencies: Survey Study of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Coordinators. J Med Internet Res, 23, e16750, 2021.
  15. Neuhauser, L., Kreps, G.L., Rethinking Communication in the E-health Era. J Health Psychol, 8, 7–23, 2003
  16. Bickmore, T.W., Schulman, D., Sidner, C., Automated interventions for multiple health behaviors using conversational agents. Patient Educ Couns, 92, 142–148, 2013.
  17. Green, N.L., Representation of Argumentation in Text with Rhetorical Structure Theory. Argumentation, 24, 181–196, 2003.
  18. Green, N.L., Stadler, B., Adding coping-related strategies to biomedical argumentation in computer-generated genetic counseling patient letters. Patient Educ Couns, 92, 149–152, 2013.
  19. Scott, D., Hallett, C., Fettiplace, R., Data-to-text summarization of patient records: Using computer-generated summaries to access patient histories. Patient Educ Couns, 92, 153–159, 2013.
  20. Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M.A., Singh, R.P., Suman, R., Artificial intelligence (AI) applications for marketing: A literature-based study. Int J Artif Intell Netw, 3, 119–132, 2022.
  21. Zeng, D., Cao, Z., Neill, D.B., Artificial intelligence–enabled public health surveillanceβ€”from local detection to global epidemic monitoring and control, in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, pp. 437–453, Elsevier eBooks, 2020.
  22. Haskins, Michael., Artificial Intelligence and Its Need in Healthcare, Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, 5373, 2024.
  23. Stoumpos, A.I., Kitsios, F., Talias, M.A., Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Technology Acceptance and Its Applications. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 20, 3407, 2023.
  24. Kumar, A., Shukla, P., Sharan, A., Mahindru, T., NITI Aayog, Sarkar, A., Nayan, A., Asthana, K., Wadhwani Institute for AI, Gupta, M., Raskar, R., nVIDIA, Intel, IBM, NASSCOM, McKinsey, Accenture, Roy, A., Kant, A., National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence. NITI Ayog, 2018.
  25. Satish, R., Mahindru, T., World Economic Forum, Microsoft, Butterfield, K.F., Sarkar, A., Roy, A., Kumar, R., Sethi, A., Ravindran, B., Marchant, G., Google, Havens, J., Srichandra (IEEE), Vatsa, M., Goenka, S., Anandan, P., Panicker, R., Srivatsa, R., Vidhi Center for Legal Policy, Roy, A., Kumar, R., Approach Document for
  26. India Part 1 – Principles for Responsible AI, NITI Ayog, 2021.
  27. Jenerette, C.M., and Mayer, D.K., Patient-Provider Communication: The Rise of Patient Engagement. Semin Oncol Nurs, 32, 134–143, 2016.
  28. Ahuja, A.S., The impact of artificial intelligence in medicine on the future role of the physician. PeerJ, 7, e7702, 2019.
  29. Adeghe, N.E.P., Okolo, N.C.A., Ojeyinka, N.O.T., A review of emerging trends in telemedicine: Healthcare delivery transformations. Int J Life Sci Res Arch, 6, 137–147, 2024.
  30. Dubey, A., Verma, A.S., Effective Remote Healthcare and Telemedicine Approaches for Improving Digital Healthcare Systems, in: CRC Press eBooks, pp. 273–297, 2022.
  31. Bashshur, R.L., Howell, J.D., Krupinski, E.A., Harms, K.M., Bashshur, N., Doarn, C.R., The Empirical Foundations of Telemedicine Interventions in Primary Care. Telemed J E Health, 22, 342–375, 2016.
  32. PIB Delhi, β€˜eSanjeevani’, Govt. of India’s free Telemedicine service integrated with NHA’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2022.
  33. Reddy, S., Fox, J., Purohit, M.P., Artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare delivery. J R Soc Med, 112, 22–28, 2018.
  34. Sarella, P.N.K., Mangam, V.T., AI-Driven Natural Language Processing in Healthcare: Transforming Patient-Provider Communication. Indian J Pharm Pract, 17, 21–26, 2024.
  35. Nguyen, P.H., Scott, S., Headey, D., Singh, N., Tran, L.M., Menon, P., Ruel, M.T., The double burden of malnutrition in India: Trends and inequalities (2006–2016). PLoS ONE, 16 (2), e0247856, 2021.
  36. Vichave, N.B., Jain, N.N., Garad, N.P., Gandhi, N.N., Meshram, N., Malnutrition Detection using AI. Int J Adv Res Sci Commun Technol, 285–291, 2023.
  37. Aggarwal, A., Tam, C.C., Wu, D., Li, X., Qiao, S., Artificial Intelligence–Based Chatbots for Promoting Health Behavioral Changes: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res, 25, e40789, 2023.
  38. Bhatt, N.S., Jogy, N.S., Puri, N.A., Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Autism Therapy. Int J Sci Res Arch, 12, 2400–2405, 2024.
  39. UNFPA, In India, UNFPA launches β€˜Just Ask!’ – a chatbot for sexual and reproductive health and rights awareness. United Nations Population Fund, 2023.
  40. YugasaBot, the leading AI chatbot for the healthcare industry, now aims to serve rural India, Business Standard, 2023.
  41. PIB Delhi, AI boosts rural connectivity & healthcare, Ministry of Science & Technology, 2022.
  42. Anjaria, P., Asediya, V., Bhavsar, P., Pathak, A., Desai, D., Patil, V., Artificial Intelligence in Public Health: Revolutionizing Epidemiological Surveillance for Pandemic Preparedness and Equitable Vaccine Access. Vaccines, 11, 1154, 2023.
  43. PIB Delhi, Vice President calls for addressing the shortage of doctors and paramedical workers in a mission mode, Vice President's Secretariat, 2021.
  44. Serrano, L.P., Maita, K.C., Avila, F.R., Torres-Guzman, R.A., Garcia, J.P., Eldaly, A.S., Haider, C.R., Felton, C.L., Paulson, M.R., Maniaci, M.J., Forte, A.J., Benefits and Challenges of Remote Patient Monitoring as Perceived by Health Care Practitioners: A Systematic Review. Perm J, 27, 100–111, 2023.
  45. Jeddi, Z., Bohr, A., Remote patient monitoring using artificial intelligence, in Elsevier eBooks, pp. 203–234, 2020.
  46. Norzom, T., Healthtech startup Niramai launches home screening service for breast health. Your Story, https://yourstory.com/herstory/2020/06/healthtech-startup-niramai-breast-cancer-lockdown, 2020.
  47. GOQii Smart Vital smartwatch review: Underwhelming performance, India Today, https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/reviews/story/goqii-smart-vital-smartwatch-review-underwhelming-performance-1740417-2020-11-12, 2020.
  48. Healthtech startup Tricog Health raises $8.5 million, The Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/healthtech-startup-tricog-health-raises-8-5-million/articleshow/99627114.cms?from=mdr, 2023.
  49. Nutbeam, D., Muscat, D.M., Health Promotion Glossary 2021. Health Promot Int, 36, 1578–1598, 2021.
  50. Health literacy a must to empower patients, The Tribune, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/health-literacy-a-must-to-empower-patients-752945/, 2019.
  51. 10 facts on illiteracy in India that you must know, Oxfam India, https://www.oxfamindia.org/featuredstories/10-facts-illiteracy-india-you-must-know, 2015.
  52. D’Cruz, A.M., Aradhya, M.R.S., Health literacy among Indian adults seeking dental care. Dent Res J, 2013.
  53. Hospitals, Swasthya AI, https://www.swasthya.ai/practitioner, 2023.
  54. Ashokan, N.A., Telemedicine: Bridging the Gap in Providing Primary Care to Rural Area Patients Across India. Telehealth and Medicine Today, 9, 2024.
  55. Shajari, S., Kuruvinashetti, K., Komeili, A., Sundararaj, U., The Emergence of AI-Based Wearable Sensors for Digital Health Technology: A Review. Sensors (Basel), 23, 9498, 2023.
  56. Larson, H.J., Lin, L., Generative artificial intelligence can have a role in combating vaccine hesitancy. BMJ, q69, 2024.
  57. Mapari, S.A., Shrivastava, D., Dave, A., Bedi, G.N., Gupta, A., Sachani, P., Kasat, P.R., Pradeep, U., Revolutionizing Maternal Health: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Care and Accessibility. Cureus, 2024.
  58. PIB Delhi, Status of IMR and MMR in India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1796436, 2022.
  59. India Matters, Using AI to improve maternal and child health in India, Observer Research Foundation, https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/using-ai-to-improve-maternal-and-child-health-in-india, 2023.
  60. E Health Network, Rajasthan: The Hub of Innovations in Healthcare, https://ehealth.eletsonline.com/2015/07/rajasthan-the-hub-of-innovations-in-healthcare/, 2015.
  61. Siala, H., Wang, Y., SHIFTing artificial intelligence to be responsible in healthcare: A systematic review. Soc Sci Med, 296, 114782, 2022
  62. Tilala, M.H., Chenchala, P.K., Choppadandi, A., Kaur, J., Naguri, S., Saoji, R., Devaguptapu, B., Ethical Considerations in the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Health Care: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus, 16, e62443, 2024.
  63. PRSI, The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, Ministry: Electronics and Information Technology, https://prsindia.org/billtrack/digital-personal-data-protection-bill-2023, 2023.