NTT DATA: Is Healthcare Ready for AI Ambition to Be Reality?

Generative AI is poised to offer vast improvements within the healthcare sector.

Besides enhancing direct patient interaction, it optimises operational aspects such as resource management and patient logistics.

According to McKinsey, Gen AI efficiently sifts through enormous datasets, enabling medical professionals to focus on intricate patient matters.

The technology also promises to convert unstructured data into usable formats swiftly, particularly in reshaping health insurance operations, allowing almost instantaneous verification of benefits.

Nonetheless, research conducted by NTT DATA points to a critical disconnect between the expansive promises of Gen AI and the actual performance seen in healthcare today.

The ambitious plans for Gen AI in healthcare

NTT DATA's study highlights that over 80% of healthcare leaders assert having a concrete strategy for Gen AI.

However, just 40% correlate this strategy closely with their business aims and only 54% perceive their Gen AI capabilities as highly effective.This misalignment is accentuated as the UK government unveils its Fit for the Future 10-year Health Plan, which envisions the NHS as a leading AI-enabled healthcare model globally.

Even with current challenges, healthcare's zeal for Gen AI is well justified.

Data from the NTT DATA survey show that 94% of respondents believe Gen AI can hasten research and development, granting access to novel treatments, superior diagnostics and enhanced predictive analytics.

Highlighted advantages include increased diagnostic precision, enhanced patient experiences and streamlined administrative functions.

However, major obstacles threaten to slow progress, including:

• Skills shortages: 75% of healthcare leaders report insufficient in-house Gen AI expertise
• Legacy infrastructure: 91% say outdated tech hinders their ability to scale Gen AI
• Security and privacy fears: 91% are concerned about protecting sensitive health data and only 42% are confident in their AI application security controls

Yet, the future remains promising.

NTT DATA's research shows 87% of leaders feel that the advantages of Gen AI will eventually triumph over associated risks, with more than half planning substantial AI investment within the next two years.

“To achieve Gen AI’s full potential in healthcare, organisations must align the technology to their business strategies, develop comprehensive workforce training and implement multi-layered governance strategies that prioritise people and keep humans in the loop,” says Sundar Srinivasan, Senior Vice President, Healthcare, NTT DATA North America.

“It’s vital to transparently show how the technology benefits patients by complementing human workers.”

Case studies in the NHS

The UK's forward-thinking healthcare agenda outlines a transition from analogue to digital over a decade, incorporating AI as an indispensable tool for every clinician.

Emphasis is placed on leveraging AI to enhance clinical decision-making and upskill the workforce while tackling staff shortages.

Tom Winstanley, Chief Technology Officer at NTT DATA UK & Ireland, says: “Our report analyses the importance of AI to healthcare, which has just been demonstrated in the contents of the UK Government’s latest 10 Year Health Plan for England. 

“The plan aims to make the NHS the most AI-enabled health system in the world and calls for all hospitals to fully adopt AI, driving the UK to the forefront of investment and adoption. 

“To achieve this, it aims to support all doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals with trusted AI assistants, signalling a bridge across the skills gap exposed in the report, while securely leveraging the wealth of health data within the NHS.”

For instance, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, in conjunction with NTT DATA, is developing an innovative AI-powered radiology analysis platform.

This initiative uses Gen AI to expedite cancer detection accuracy, giving researchers unprecedented tools for studying imaging biomarkers and enhancing patient prognoses.Supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), this project exemplifies AI’s transformative impact on cancer research and treatment in the UK.

The system utilises high-performance computing along with a robust cloud infrastructure for testing AI algorithms at scale, ensuring that the NHS remains at the edge of technological advancements.

The aspiration is these AI models will bolster diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, directly benefiting cancer patients via earlier detection and more targeted therapies.

Flann Horgan, Vice President of Healthcare at NTT DATA UK&I, says: “This partnership illustrates how AI technology can be harnessed for good.

“The ethical and secure use of AI in healthcare is central to our mission to build a smarter, healthier society and this project is a blueprint for what responsible innovation looks like in practice. 

“We are proud to support The Royal Marsden in pushing the boundaries of cancer research.”