In a freewheeling chat with INDIAai, Gudapakkam shares more about what sets Annalise.ai apart, how to tackle challenges around privacy and safety, and more

With increased proliferation of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare has advanced over the last few years. The future seems brighter as the AI healthcare market, valued at $11 billion in 2021, is slated to be pegged at $187 billion in 2030.

Among the many companies that exist in this space, Sydney-headquartered Annalise.ai has been making the right noise with its diagnostic solutions. The cutting-edge healthtech AI company claims to be the only comprehensive medical imaging AI in the world that empowers clinicians globally to make accurate, faster decisions that offers patients the best treatment and peace of mind.

Annalise.ai offers three solutions: Annalise Enterprise CTB that can detect up to 130 radiological findings on non-contrast CT Brain (NCCTB) studies that require immediate intervention; Annalise Enterprise CXR that can detect up to 124 findings on chest X-rays in seconds and Annalise CXR Edge that can detect up to 95 findings on chest X-rays at the bedside.

Under the able leadership of its CEO, Lakshmi Gudapakkam, Annalise.ai has been instrumental in making strategic moves to further accelerate the company’s global presence. Gudapakkam brings a wealth of healthtech expertise, having worked for over two decades at GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare in cardiology imaging, radiology imaging and healthcare informatics.

In May 2023, Annalise.ai also announced the opening of the Annalise India Centre in Chennai to focus on the development and marketing of new products.

In a freewheeling chat with INDIAai, Gudapakkam shares more about what sets Annalise.ai apart, how to tackle challenges around privacy and safety, and more.

A second pair of eyes for radiologists

Annalise.ai has specific diagnostic solutions in the field of radiology imaging that are designed by clinicians for use by clinicians. Through these tools, the healthtech company is attempting to make life simpler for radiologists by ensuring both swiftness and accuracy in the scans.

“The radiology department serves the broader healthcare system, with the patient at its centre. The healthcare ecosystem also includes the general physician who refers the patient to the radiology room to get a scan. From the results, they can gauge where to send the person for specific needs,” shares Gudapakkam.

That’s not all. The healthcare ecosystem is incomplete without a hospital, where patients get admitted for acute trauma or for any other medical condition. Through their solutions, Annalise.ai is stepping up efforts to make an impact on patient care.

But what sets them apart?

AI in healthcare may have made strides over time but the industry is still nascent and requires the expertise of radiologists, highlights Gudapakkam.

While Annalise.ai has an evolved radiology AI product, they continue to look at themselves as an “assistant to a radiologist”. “We consider ourselves as an AI solution that can help orchestrate and triage the whole patient care workflow in a healthcare enterprise,” he adds.

While radiologists are qualified and bring in their skill and expertise in the field, it is obvious that their performance may vary through the day. For instance, after a meal, there is bound to be sluggishness in the way they function. With the augmentation of an AI tool, it helps to have “someone” doing an image check.

“You could think of us as a companion that’s there for you throughout the day, even during periods of sluggishness. We are always there to ensure consistent performance so that accuracy is never compromised,” informs Gudapakkam.

In any healthcare enterprise, there’s a mix of senior and budding radiologists, both in developed and developing countries. The average performance of Annalise.ai is better than those professionals who are finding their feet.

“We also help in the journey of getting the radiologist to a state of being seasoned,” adds Gudapakkam.

Offering pointed solutions

Annalise.ai’s prowess isn’t limited to being radiology assistants; there’s more to them.

Calling themselves “fourth-generation of AI”, Annalise.ai offers specific solutions unlike the first or the second generation of the technology that was focused on complex imaging modalities. For instance, if someone wants to check if they have pneumonia or not, or if there’s a brain bleed post an accident, these solutions come in handy.

“We act as a virtual radiologist where we look at anything and everything in the image and take a more comprehensive look for its entirety. When you do a chest X-ray, there is a certain clinical diagnosis to check for something concerning. Through a comprehensive solution like ours with 124+ findings, we look for everything and we often get incidental findings,” says Gudapakkam.

In a nutshell, enhanced detection by Annalise.ai helps with better follow-up and fewer false positives or negatives, leading to decreased medico-legal risk and insurance premiums. Moreover, it also improves patients’ lives by facilitating rapid triage, decision support and access to time-sensitive interventions.

Tackling safety and privacy challenges

Annalise.ai may have built a reputation in a short period of time but it can’t escape the discourse around data security and privacy that has been recurring ever since AI in healthcare became prominent.

The healthtech company is mindful of this aspect. Annalise.ai may operate in the space of commercial solutions, but they try to understand the laws and ensure adherence in the best way possible.

“We want to make sure we are compliant to the local laws and regulations and that’s when we deploy a solution. This is our second step to regulation itself before we operate as a medical device in a country,” mentions Gudapakkam.

Apart from data privacy, there are also concerns around the accuracy of scans for patient safety. With the help of an example, Gudapakkam highlights how the readings by radiologists are also not 100% accurate. Similarly, Annalise.ai may call themselves 99% accurate, but the vision is to keep improving, so that they can consistently working towards a better product.

“We take any feedback on our product seriously, delving deep into how the solutions perform in every geography we participate it. In this manner, we incorporate these insights into the next generation of the model. When it gets rolled out, the improved version is not just for our new customers but also the existing ones. Accuracy is and will always be one of our biggest goals,” says Gudapakkam.

Emphasising on their commitment to learning and improvement, Gudapakkam mentions how they pivoted from just being a radiology assistant to playing a bigger role in the broader healthcare ecosystem.

“That’s how we began to evolve and looked at opportunities in screening, say tuberculosis, lung cancer, COPD and sometimes other dormant conditions. For instance, in India, tuberculosis screening is a big deal – in response to that, we are releasing the next version of the product shortly that will give out the results with a certain level of confidence,” reiterates Gudapakkam.

A bright future

Since Gudapakkam has taken on his current role at Annalise.ai, he has been making concerted efforts to tap into India and its capabilities in the field of AI in healthcare.

But is it because India is set to become the next AI superpower?

That may take some time, says Gudapakkam. While India has made strides in the space, he believes that we are still in the early stages of being an AI superpower.

That’s because developed countries are way ahead with regard to sophisticated solutions. However, he is confident that several companies will come out of India and also compete with Annalise.ai.

“It’s great to witness the ecosystem innovate collectively. Tech is prevalent in healthcare and AI in healthcare has several advantages. I believe there will be an adoption at a fairly quick pace in the country. Radiology is the mature part of healthcare. I can see the progress and feel it, now we all need to collectively experience it,” concludes Gudapakkam.