Apollo Hospitals, one of the biggest hospital chains in India, has launched a new mixed reality programme that lets patients see what happens inside their hearts.

WHAT IT DOES

The Apollo ProHealthDeepX shows how a patient's risk factors for heart disease affect their heart through an immersive mixed reality experience using the Microsoft HoloLens 2. It generates a cardiac risk score using Apollo's proprietary AI, which is combined with the patient's vitals and medical history to create a 3D image of their heart. 

WHY IT MATTERS

The mixed reality programme, which has been introduced under the hospital group's preventive care initiative, Apollo ProHealth Programme, was developed to empower people to make positive choices for their health. 

In India, non-communicable diseases account for 65% of deaths with cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, as the leading causes of mortality. About eight in 10 of these premature deaths, said Apollo Chairman Dr Prathap C. Reddy, can be prevented through early detection and timely interventions. "I am sure that this new innovative development in our ProHealth programme will help more people take the positive step towards regular screening and adopt a healthier lifestyle," he added.

Sangita Reddy, Apollo's managing director, said they will soon implement the programme in "our key hospitals across the country".

THE LARGER TREND

Microsoft and Apollo entered into a deal in 2018 to develop new machine learning models that predict a patient's risk for heart diseases. The partnership expanded the Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare to also cover cardiology. 

It was in January this year that Microsoft made available its mixed reality device HoloLens 2 in India. The device can be integrated with Apollo's Cardiovascular Disease Risk API which was introduced in September last year. The AI tool was built using a decade worth of data from over 400,000 patients around the country.

Besides Microsoft, Apollo also signed a partnership with US-based VR platform developer 8chili last month. The collaboration will see the application of the HintVR metaverse platform for training health professionals and enhancing patient engagement. 

ON THE RECORD

In a comment, Microsoft India Managing Director Sashi Sreedharan said: "In coming years, ProHealthDeepX solution using HoloLens 2 will enhance patient experience by allowing patients to view and understand their health conditions in a better manner".