Fourth Gen industrial techs can revolutionise cancer care: WEF

The fourth digital transformation of manufacturing industries and value creation processes has transformed multiple sectors including health and pharmaceutical. But now technological innovation in cancer care can continue to reduce mortality and improve patient outcomes in a country.   

A white paper titled ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Cancer Care’ published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), has figured that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT),  will all transform healthcare delivery in India by providing better cancer care.  

Drafted with inputs from over 30 experts, the document presents a strategy for employing the latest technologies to address priorities in preventive care, curative care and governance, including health screening, awareness raising, diagnosis, capacity building and public health intelligence, as claimed by the WEF.  

The Forum feels that AI can enable faster and more accurate diagnosis, wearables can promote wellness, IoT devices can support remote management and AI-enabled clinical decision support can enhance the effectiveness of health professionals.  

As per the WEF, Cancer data gets fragmented due to the long and complex nature of diagnosis, treatment and care. But it affirms that its white paper captures data along the entire patient journey to transform every aspect of cancer care, from prevention and diagnosis to curative care and governance. The white paper recommends testing the proposed technology solutions in two or three district-level pilots per state, scaling it up after the pilots demonstrate success.  

Purushottam Kaushik, Head, Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution at the WEF, said, “This model – described as a “game changer” among emerging tech interventions – would ensure data capture along every step of the patient journey, while avoiding duplication and ensuring privacy.”

“The Oncology Master Record thus created would be accessible to all authorised stakeholders,” he said.