Ethical AI and more highlighted at HCA Forum Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia’s industry experts graced the Healthcare Asia Forum stage to discuss responsible AI use, preventive care, and evolving patient needs.

MALAYSIA

Healthcare consultants, hospital leaders, and other industry experts came together to reflect on the rising digital adoption in healthcare, particularly in Malaysia, and emphasised the need for its accurate and ethical use to ensure the utmost patient care. Equally important now in the healthcare ecosystem is preventive care, which was also thoroughly discussed at the Healthcare Asia Forum held in Impiana KLCC Kuala Lumpur on 24 May.

The event drew over 10 industry experts and healthcare professionals from private hospitals, investment firms, consultancy groups, and multinational hospitals to tackle digital healthcare trends, patient experience, and the changing ecosystem for genuine universal healthcare. Starting the forum’s discussion was Boston Consulting Group’s Anurag Agrawal, who talked about the benefits of generative AI in healthcare. He said the technology cuts time and costs to develop new drugs and therapies and reduces time in writing patient notes by 50%. But there are risks to AI dependency. If not used properly, one could be accused of generating codes without attribution, creating content with bias based on data intake, and providing a confident response that is not accurate.

Agrawal advised developing and operating AI systems to have them align with organisational values and widely accepted standards of right and wrong. There should also be a set of tools that will evaluate and oversee the risks of AI.

Cutting-edge tech

Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur CEO, Hoo Ling Lee, said healthcare providers must regularly evaluate new treatments, services, technologies, and data to ensure value-based care for patients.

Hoo also said they have been applying AI tech in ophthalmology, cardiology, and radiology department. AI is now also used for screening patients, which helped them create seamless service whilst also cutting costs.

In eye care, AI was able to screen over 500 patients in the past two months. Five of these patients were correctly detected to have diabetic retinopathy and referred for treatment. As their hospital continues to maintain telemedicine, Hoo said the top three disciplines it services are Psychiatry, Endocrinology, and O&G (Obstetrics and Gynaecology).

From Prince Court Medical Centre, Datuk Dr. Kuljit Singh took the discussion to future-proofing healthcare services. The medical director and consultant ENT surgeon said this can be done by embracing innovation, leading innovative healthcare delivery, and pioneering the future of private healthcare in Asia.

In Malaysian healthcare, the top challenges include ageing population, non-communicable diseases, delivering accessible but high-quality healthcare, and gaps in healthcare infrastructure.

Datuk Dr. Kuljit said hospitals may do their part in solving these issues by collaborating with industry partners such as technology and innovation, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and medical device manufacturers. Citing some of their cutting-edge medical devices, he mentioned weight-bearing CT and radiotherapy machines.

Meanwhile, Anastasia Miros, KPMG director for healthcare and life sciences for APAC, led the panel discussion about the future of healthcare funding in Asia. Joining the panel are Associate Professor Dr. Lim Ren Jye, the medical centre at Sunway TCM Centre, and Dr. Kuljit.

Evolving patient needs

When the speaking session resumed at the Healthcare Asia Forum, Bain & Company Senior Manager Erik Lim opened his presentation with the perspective of patients. Patients’ demands include paying more for efficient healthcare service and using touchpoints to manage care.

As patient care continued to evolve, Lim enumerated the winning models of future healthcare—multidisciplinary care teams focused on an integrated approach to medical, behavioural, and social determinants of health; seamlessly connected experience enabled by digital tools and increasingly tech-savvy clinicians; and integrated omnichannel delivery across in-person, virtual, and homecare services.

Read the full event coverage at https://healthcareasiamagazine.com/