The increasing use of Artificial intelligence, Big Data and IoT devices are changing the pattern of the healthcare business. Neha Rastogi, co-founder and COO of Agatsa, in an email interview with Zee Business online, talked about various aspects of healthcare business and innovations in this space. Do you think Budget 2019 was successful in addressing problems faced by startups? The Budget did address some major areas including simplification of tax compliances and income tax scrutiny. Further, the provision of expanding PMKY by including cutting-edge skills like AI, analytics and 3D printing, etc. are welcome steps.

Artificial intelligence is poised to alter care in many medical specialties over the next several years. But few doctors are likely to see as much change as cardiologists, whose practices are already shifting with the use of algorithms to monitor patients' hearts and produce reams of personalized data. These data can be used not only to detect troublesome heart rhythms, but also to predict future life-threatening heart problems and inform treatment decisions that may head off those episodes. Unlock this article by subscribing to STAT Plus and enjoy your first 30 days free! STAT Plus is STAT's premium subscription service for in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis. Our award-winning team covers news on Wall Street, policy developments in Washington, early science breakthroughs and clinical trial results, and health care disruption in Silicon Valley and beyond.

An executive working in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, Shourjya Sanyal, PhD, chief executive officer of Think Biosolution, said the rapid aging of the worldwide population is opening the door to the use of AI to help care for people with chronic diseases as health care delivery adapts to increased demands. In an article written for Forbes magazine, he noted the number of people aged 80 years and older will rise from the current 14.5 percent of the U.S. population (65 and older) to more than 20 percent by 2030, with similar patterns seen across most of the rest of the Western world. As a result, health care delivery pathways "need to be readjusted, keeping in mind the prevalence of chronic diseases, comorbidities and polypharmacy requirements of the elderly and geriatric patients." There are also specific diseases related to this age cohort as well, like atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and osteoarthritis that require "quick diagnosis and continuous supervision by a professional caregiver." Added to the mix is the growing shortage of physicians and caregivers, Sanyal said.