Govt to Deploy AI-Powered Clinical Decision Support System Across 70,000 Hospitals

The system is designed to function as a digital assistant for medical professionals, intended to support diagnosis and treatment decisions, particularly for long-term and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension

The government of India has announced plans to deploy an AI-powered clinical decision support system (CDSS) across 70,000 public and private hospitals nationwide, aiming to reduce medical errors and enhance care quality.

The tool, dubbed Smart Doctor, has been developed by AIIMS New Delhi and will be deployed under the government’s flagship Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

The AI tool is designed to function as a digital assistant for medical professionals, intended to support diagnosis and treatment decisions, particularly for long-term and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Further, it operates on a rule-based framework that seeks to enable doctors to cross-reference symptoms and treatment protocols against a standardized medical database.

By analyzing a patient's medical history, the system is expected to provide evidence-based recommendations on appropriate treatment plans, including optimal drug selection and dosage.

Additionally, the system also flags potential drug contraindication, which seeks to alert doctors regarding adverse interactions or harmful combinations.

As part of the rollout, the National Health Authority (NHA) has advised all states and Union Territories to implement the digital tool across hospitals and direct their software vendors to activate the module without delay.

Moreover, healthcare facilities using software platforms that are not approved under ABDM have been directed to upgrade their systems to enable integration, with the Centre offering technical support to facilitate implementation.

According to officials of NHA, the system, “The CDSS is fundamentally a decision support mechanism designed to assist clinicians, not to override their judgment. Developed by AIIMS, it uses a rule-based framework that allows doctors to cross-reference symptoms and protocols against a standardized database.”

“By scaling this tool specifically for non-communicable diseases, we aim to minimize misdiagnoses and medical errors, while ensuring that the doctor’s final decision remains supreme,” the official further added.

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