Gaurav Bagga, SVP and Head of Engineering and Product at Pristyn Care, in a conversation with Jatinder Singh, Executive Editor, CIO & Leader.
Gaurav Bagga, SVP and Head of Engineering and Product at Pristyn Care, a Gurugram-based health-tech provider, underlines the transformative role of AI in healthcare operations. Bagga emphasized AI’s ability to predict trends, optimize patient care workflows, and ensure compliance with global data regulations. Excerpts.
CIO&Leader: How has AI significantly transformed data management, analytics, automation, and decision-making processes?
Gaurav Bagga: Machine learning algorithms can identify patterns and trends from large data volumes that traditional methods often miss, enabling us to make more informed decisions. For example, at Pristyn Care, AI helps predict future trends, such as sales or pricing for surgeries, by analyzing historical data. This predictive capability allows us to optimize our operations and improve service delivery.
CIO&Leader: How has Pristyn Care optimized its strategy to deliver exceptional user experience through enhanced data utilization?
Gaurav Bagga: We use historical data to optimize various aspects of patient care. For instance, we can set specific turnaround times by analyzing past data on discharge times for different surgeries and payment modes. This ensures a smooth and efficient patient discharge process, enhancing the patient experience.
Our customer experience team plays a crucial role in this data-driven approach. They ensure patients receive personalized care throughout their journey, from pre-surgery consultations to post-surgery follow-ups. This customized approach, informed by data, helps us provide a seamless and satisfactory patient experience.
CIO&Leader: How do you ensure compliance with global data regulations while maintaining data efficiency?
Gaurav Bagga: We employ rigorous measures to ensure data protection and regulatory compliance. This includes encrypting data at rest and in transit, implementing role-based access controls, and segregating sensitive data into secure environments. Regular audits assess our data storage and handling practices to uphold global regulatory standards.
Furthermore, we educate our team on data security’s critical importance through regular training sessions, fostering heightened awareness and adherence to security protocol.
CIO&Leader: Could you elaborate on the AI tools you’ve integrated for data governance and lineage? How have these integrations impacted your operations?
Gaurav Bagga: We have integrated several AI-powered tools for data governance and lineage. These tools help us maintain a secure and optimized infrastructure by detecting anomalies and monitoring usage efficiently. For example, AI tools assist in cloud posture management, ensuring our cloud environments are safe and operating efficiently.
While we continue to explore new AI innovations to enhance data accuracy, our current focus is on utilizing AI as a copilot. This approach augments human decision-making, enabling our teams to leverage AI-driven insights for improved patient interactions and streamlined operational workflows. By combining AI with human expertise, we ensure the delivery of high-quality care while optimizing operational efficiency.
CIO&Leader: What are some of the biggest challenges companies face in data management today, and what trends do you foresee in 2025 and beyond?
Gaurav Bagga: One of the biggest challenges in data management today is handling large volumes of data while maintaining cost efficiency and extracting actionable insights. Organizations must strategically identify impactful AI use cases and accurately calculate ROI. Another challenge is ensuring data security and compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, we anticipate significant progress in AI accuracy, particularly in multilingual natural language processing. These innovations will enhance information retrieval and decision-making across diverse healthcare settings.
CIO&Leader: How do you balance AI’s technological advancement with operational readiness?
Gaurav Bagga: Integrating AI in healthcare poses challenges, particularly in balancing technological advancement with operational readiness. Human oversight is essential in critical sectors like healthcare to ensure patient safety and service excellence. We always ensure that our AI initiatives are complemented by robust human oversight to maintain the highest standards of care and operational effectiveness.