The Next Era of the Healthcare Industry: Integrating AI Without Losing the Human Touch

The following is a guest article by Patricia Pomies, COO at Globant

Two hundred years ago, in 2024, and throughout the 22nd century, nothing is better than the human touch. Empathy is an irreplaceable value, capable of building trust in the most intense moments, for example, in a visit to the doctor. For most people, the best and the most personalized attention is probably with a real flesh and blood doctor.

When the health professional provides a diagnosis or prescribes a treatment, the patient listens and accepts the message as an undeniable truth. The interlocutor must generate trust. We may not know their experience or studies, but there is something implicit that convinces us: the emotional communication. Studies show that in these interactions, more than half of the connection happens through body posture and eye contact.

Anyway, healthcare is one of the industries most significantly transformed by artificial intelligence. While doctors won’t be replaced, and AI will often remain invisible to patients, the market is projected to grow substantially, from $15.1 billion in 2022 to $187.95 billion by 2030. 

We still have time to ask ourselves how we want that growth to be. In each industry transformed by technology, the challenge is to keep the focus on solutions for people, whether they are healthcare professionals or patients. AI should not be an end in itself but rather a tool to maintain a human-centered approach.   

One of the greatest examples of this growth and the transformative opportunities lies in data management. Every day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated globally in the healthcare industry. Medical records, histories, treatments, and new studies multiply across different systems. Organizations will be able to accelerate processes by up to 50% with AI-driven analytics, allowing them to be more efficient.

One solution being implemented is the low-code platform with AI, Genexus, which integrates different systems and allows the creation of a personalized model to process millions of data points, monitor costs, interactions, and incorporate various guidelines that optimize the healthcare experience.

Patients may never know why their care is different, but in an organization using Genexus, there was a 30% reduction in response time, a 25% increase in user satisfaction, and a 20% reduction in manual tasks. Technology reduces time and allows professionals to focus on the human touch. 

Navigate Digital Twins is another AI-powered platform that improves processes, reducing problem-solving time by two days. Beyond its technical functionality, its novelty is located in offering a 360° view of operations, enabling the identification of bottlenecks and cost-saving opportunities. Data analysis opens up possibilities in various areas: a cardiovascular center in Latin America identified a chance to improve its surgery room, and a pharmaceutical company optimized its supply for CAR-T cell therapy.

Novartis has launched several campaigns in recent years related to migraine treatment, from new medicines to awareness initiatives. One of the most innovative was the AI-powered conversational tool. Research indicated that personalized educational material could benefit more than half of those who suffer from attacks requiring bed rest. This diagnosis and disease management allows for faster patient treatment and offers economic benefits for hospitals. Only in the U.S., it is estimated that this could save $19 billion. Meanwhile, doctors, who have limited time, can focus on other patients.

Care is another stage of the “patient journey” that can be improved with artificial intelligence. We have to clarify something obvious: using technology is not about setting up an automatic answering machine but creating personalized experiences with engaging content for each one. There are plenty of success stories, but to put it in perspective, solutions that reduce hospital stays and improve operational efficiency will save $150 billion annually by 2026 for the healthcare industry.

What’s important is to have the data and find a solution that addresses real-world challenges. It’s not about incorporating AI to “stay trendy” but to develop solutions. At the same time, effective implementation will convince those who have not yet embraced digital transformation: 45% of healthcare executives encountered resistance (survey by Healthcare IT News), and 54% of workers feel they lack training to use AI tools (study by the American Hospital Association).

Throughout its history, the healthcare industry has been characterized by investment, innovation, and improving people’s lives. The same will happen with the implementation of technology. In the coming years, patient care will be radically different, though many may not notice: just like 200 years ago, the doctor’s care and human touch will remain the focus. For everything else, there will be AI.

The following is a guest article by Patricia Pomies, COO at Globant

Two hundred years ago, in 2024, and throughout the 22nd century, nothing is better than the human touch. Empathy is an irreplaceable value, capable of building trust in the most intense moments, for example, in a visit to the doctor. For most people, the best and the most personalized attention is probably with a real flesh and blood doctor.

When the health professional provides a diagnosis or prescribes a treatment, the patient listens and accepts the message as an undeniable truth. The interlocutor must generate trust. We may not know their experience or studies, but there is something implicit that convinces us: the emotional communication. Studies show that in these interactions, more than half of the connection happens through body posture and eye contact.

Anyway, healthcare is one of the industries most significantly transformed by artificial intelligence. While doctors won’t be replaced, and AI will often remain invisible to patients, the market is projected to grow substantially, from $15.1 billion in 2022 to $187.95 billion by 2030. 

We still have time to ask ourselves how we want that growth to be. In each industry transformed by technology, the challenge is to keep the focus on solutions for people, whether they are healthcare professionals or patients. AI should not be an end in itself but rather a tool to maintain a human-centered approach.   

One of the greatest examples of this growth and the transformative opportunities lies in data management. Every day, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated globally in the healthcare industry. Medical records, histories, treatments, and new studies multiply across different systems. Organizations will be able to accelerate processes by up to 50% with AI-driven analytics, allowing them to be more efficient.

One solution being implemented is the low-code platform with AI, Genexus, which integrates different systems and allows the creation of a personalized model to process millions of data points, monitor costs, interactions, and incorporate various guidelines that optimize the healthcare experience.

Patients may never know why their care is different, but in an organization using Genexus, there was a 30% reduction in response time, a 25% increase in user satisfaction, and a 20% reduction in manual tasks. Technology reduces time and allows professionals to focus on the human touch. 

Navigate Digital Twins is another AI-powered platform that improves processes, reducing problem-solving time by two days. Beyond its technical functionality, its novelty is located in offering a 360° view of operations, enabling the identification of bottlenecks and cost-saving opportunities. Data analysis opens up possibilities in various areas: a cardiovascular center in Latin America identified a chance to improve its surgery room, and a pharmaceutical company optimized its supply for CAR-T cell therapy.

Novartis has launched several campaigns in recent years related to migraine treatment, from new medicines to awareness initiatives. One of the most innovative was the AI-powered conversational tool. Research indicated that personalized educational material could benefit more than half of those who suffer from attacks requiring bed rest. This diagnosis and disease management allows for faster patient treatment and offers economic benefits for hospitals. Only in the U.S., it is estimated that this could save $19 billion. Meanwhile, doctors, who have limited time, can focus on other patients.

Care is another stage of the “patient journey” that can be improved with artificial intelligence. We have to clarify something obvious: using technology is not about setting up an automatic answering machine but creating personalized experiences with engaging content for each one. There are plenty of success stories, but to put it in perspective, solutions that reduce hospital stays and improve operational efficiency will save $150 billion annually by 2026 for the healthcare industry.

What’s important is to have the data and find a solution that addresses real-world challenges. It’s not about incorporating AI to “stay trendy” but to develop solutions. At the same time, effective implementation will convince those who have not yet embraced digital transformation: 45% of healthcare executives encountered resistance (survey by Healthcare IT News), and 54% of workers feel they lack training to use AI tools (study by the American Hospital Association).

Throughout its history, the healthcare industry has been characterized by investment, innovation, and improving people’s lives. The same will happen with the implementation of technology. In the coming years, patient care will be radically different, though many may not notice: just like 200 years ago, the doctor’s care and human touch will remain the focus. For everything else, there will be AI.