AI to enhance patient care, says Aster DM Healthcare CEO

By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), data and digital innovation, integrated healthcare provider Aster DM Healthcare is aiming to transform the GCC healthcare landscape, setting new standards for convenience, quality and care in the industry.

State of digital health adoption

Starting with some data:

• Aster’s super app, myAster has recorded over 2 million app downloads, reaching more than 6.2 million users in the GCC.
• With access to 5 Aster hospitals, 650+ doctors, 58 clinics and 270 pharmacies in the UAE, appointment bookings on myAster rose to 500,000 and pharmacy orders surpassed 650,000.
• The number of monthly active users on myAster surged to exceed 750,000.

Meanwhile, some new features on myAster include ‘Lab on App’ that consolidates access to prescriptions, lab and radiology reports in a single place and ‘Health Profile’, which allows users to track parameters including blood pressure, glucose levels and risk factors such as Diabetes and Hypertension, among others.

How Aster aims to reshape healthcare in the GCC  

Aster DM Healthcare has the ambition to reshape the future of healthcare by revolutionising how people access and experience medical services. The company aims to further strengthen myAster that’s already focused on creating seamless, patient-centric solutions empowering individuals to manage their health proactively, thereby bridging the gap between physical and digital care.

After delivering personalised healthcare solutions in the UAE, the goal is to now expand myAster to other markets in the GCC – for example, Saudi Arabia. To take this vision forward, Aster DM Healthcare recently appointed Nalla Karunanithy, as its new Chief Executive Officer for Digital Health and E-commerce business. He will spearhead Aster’s digital roadmap, driving innovation and expanding the Group’s digital capabilities.

During an exclusive interview with IMAGES RetailME, asked about his three strategic priorities for 2025, Karunanithy said it would be to expand Aster’s digital presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by connecting its network of hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. Leveraging AI and data analytics to make the patient journey more seamless and finally, enhancing the user experience on myAster.

Securing patient data in the age of AI

At a time when the use of AI is rapidly expanding in the healthcare space, where the margin of error is expected to be nil, how this can be ensured for diagnostic purposes is a big question. In addition, how can data security be made watertight?

“These questions are always on the top of mind,” Karunanithy admitted. “Especially at a time when we have access to a lot of sensitive data, which makes it pivotal to add layers of security to protect these data points while enhancing the efficiency of diagnosis. Hence, we have put in place advanced encryption protocols alongside a robust data governance framework.”

“Governance framework is not just about how we use data within a system. It’s also about knowledge and education to ensure that our practitioners use data in a manner that should help protect the patient information at every step of the way. While simultaneously leveraging AI capabilities through a secure data sharing model by anonymising data for federated learning,” he explained.

The idea is to find the right balance to harness the power of AI, while maintaining the highest standard of data security and patient trust.

Is human touch eroding in healthcare?

As AI-based applications are changing rapidly, organisations like Aster DM Healthcare are doing everything to stay agile. “AI is changing rapidly, almost on a weekly basis,” Karunanithy agreed. “That means we’ve to be agile enough and ensure framework dominance to adopt changes quickly.”

However, the bigger question is in an industry like healthcare where human touch is crucial, is that element getting lost amid technology adoption?

“The short answer is no,” Karunanithy responded.

“Doctors from the previous generations were also dependent on data, just that their approach was different. Things were not digitised back then as doctors spoke to patients and ran tests to gather data and used this data for better diagnostic for a particular patient. The difference is now we have access to a vast amount of data, significantly larger for any normal human being to handle and process. Hence, the use of AI which if leveraged well complements the human touch,” he concluded.