2024 tech trends: Axtria on evolving technologies in healthcare

Shikha Singhal, Principal, Data Science, Axtria, a global provider of award-winning cloud software and data analytics to the life sciences industry, presented her views on the evolving technologies for healthcare in 2024.

• Integration of AI and real-world evidence (RWE): We foresee a significant leap in the integration of AI with Real-World Evidence (RWE) in the pharmaceutical industry. This convergence will enhance clinical trial design, optimize patient recruitment, and provide more robust insights into the safety and efficacy of drugs in real-world scenarios.
  
  
• Explainable AI (XAI) in healthcare decision-making: Explainability and transparency in AI algorithms will be paramount in healthcare. As regulatory bodies and healthcare professionals demand more interpretable AI models, the integration of Explainable AI (XAI) will become a norm. This is crucial in gaining trust and ensuring the responsible use of AI in medical decision-making.
  
  
• Generative AI for efficiency and personalized care: ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) are being applied in various ways to improve efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making in the industry. Some common use cases include clinical trial recruitment, market access and reimbursement support, customer service support, virtual patient assistance, marketing content generation, sales training, omnichannel orchestration, regulatory compliance, patient support program, etc.
  
  
• Personalized medicine and AI-driven drug discovery: The marriage of AI and genomics will continue to accelerate the era of personalized medicine. AI algorithms will play a pivotal role in deciphering complex genetic data, identifying biomarkers, and aiding in the discovery of targeted therapies. This trend will revolutionize the way we approach drug development and treatment strategies.
  
  
• Federated learning for privacy-preserving healthcare AI: With an increased focus on data privacy and security, federated learning will emerge as a key technology in healthcare AI. This approach allows model training across decentralized data sources without sharing sensitive information, fostering collaboration while maintaining privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA.
  
  
• AI-enhanced digital therapeutics: Digital therapeutics, augmented by AI, will gain prominence in managing chronic diseases and mental health. AI algorithms will analyze user data from wearables, and other sources, to provide personalized interventions, transforming the way we deliver healthcare beyond traditional clinical settings.
  
  
• Quantum computing for healthcare optimization: Quantum computing is on the horizon as a transformative force in healthcare optimization. From drug discovery simulations to complex genomics analysis, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize computational capabilities, enabling us to solve healthcare challenges that were once considered insurmountable.

-- Shikha Singhal, Axtria.