Leveraging AI Video Analytics To Power Healthcare Transformation
The healthcare sector is one of the most critical enablers of any nation’s growth and sustainability. In today’s world, where lifestyle diseases, contagions and injuries etc., constantly burden healthcare services, integration of top-of-the-line technologies is of utmost importance. While tech and healthcare have always gone hand-in-hand, the unprecedented pandemic outbreak has made it necessary to undertake holistic digital transformation of operations in this sector. This is where AI video analytics is being leveraged to enhance the quality and capability of service providers in areas ranging from security to patient care. Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which healthcare is set to benefit from the AI powered video analytics.
Security: Since CCTVs were originally developed with an aim to protect and secure the premises, it is important to see the impact of video analytics in this arena. Medical services often put caregivers at a risk of violence from the patients, their attendants and others. CCTV video analytics systems can monitor the entire premises continuously to detect any inappropriate behaviour, suspicious movement, intruders and so on. Upon detection of any threat or violence, the system raises an alert to ensure swift and preventive action by the security teams.
Patient fall detection: It is no secret that falls can cause crippling and life-threatening injuries to elderly patients as their mobility is limited and bones become brittle. In such a scenario, patients admitted to hospitals, especially the bedridden patients need consistent monitoring. What if someone falls off the bed or somewhere in the premises? The limited hospital staff might not be able to promptly notice any such occurrence. However, video analytics becomes a force multiplier here. Such solutions can differentiate between a person lying on bed, sitting on the floor to someone having fallen on the floor or an unconscious person. Detection of such incidents allows video analytics solutions to raise alerts and provide a timely response. Patients recovering from surgeries, critical injuries or bedridden elderly with severe diseases can be monitored. The CCTV surveillance system’s AI analytics ability makes it distinguish and understand SOS signals from the patients, leading to better patient safety outcomes.
Theft or infant abduction: Hospitals are usually stretched over vast areas, comprising several buildings and thousands of people at a time. In such a scenario, thefts of valuables as well as abduction of infants/new born babies is not an uncommon risk. The video analytics system can monitor all movements and raise real-time alerts in case an attempted abduction of a child or theft of belongings is witnessed.
Ward monitoring: Video surveillance through AI video analytics can be instrumental in generating ward heatmaps that help analyse movement of visitors and patients in different wards at different hours. The system enables monitoring of the way care is being delivered to each patient. Empty beds can be spotted and a real-time analysis of occupancy and display of available beds/facilities can be made possible by the technology.
Hygiene and social distancing: Hospitals have plenty of vulnerable patients at all times. Risk of contagions, infections due to unhygienic conditions is very high even more so in the post pandemic world. This is where CCTV-driven video analytics can help in efficient and effective management of hygiene standards. Whenever dirty toilets, unhygienic areas or dirt etc., is noticed, cleaning crews are alerted even if it is not the scheduled cleaning hour. Thus, hygiene and sanitation are improved significantly. Further, the system can prevent overcrowding and congestion. Whether it is the concentration of people in areas like pharmacy counters, food counters, diagnostic rooms or OPDs, or lack of mask adherence, all of it can be identified and prevented by the CCTV analytics.
Monitoring patients’ vitals: For patients admitted to isolation wards, the remote monitoring of patient vitals such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood glucose levels etc., is made possible by video analytics surveillance. The system works round-the-clock and alerts doctors if the vitals are at variation with the safe levels. Thus, doctors can remotely and simultaneously monitor a large number of patients without needing to risk infection or monitoring gaps caused by the periodic in-person check-up-based processes.
We have been exposed to the limitations of the conventional healthcare system in a country like India due to the pandemic. This is where advanced technologies such as video AI analytics are a sure-shot way of enhancing efficiency and quality of healthcare at a universal level and in a swift and standardized manner.
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