Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping healthcare professionals in India expand their capacity to treat patients, with more than seven in 10 saying the technology has enabled them to see more people, according to a report by Philips.
The report found that 71 per cent of healthcare professionals surveyed said AI had increased their capacity to see patients, significantly higher than the global figure of 50 per cent.
Among those reporting an increase in capacity, clinicians stated that they were able to see a median of 10 additional patients per week.
Confidence in AI’s impact on healthcare has also increased, with 85 per cent of Indian healthcare professionals stating that they believe the technology can improve patient outcomes, up from 76 per cent in the previous year’s report.
The findings come as healthcare providers increasingly deploy AI tools for clinical workflows, data management, and administrative tasks, while concerns over accuracy, oversight, and workforce preparedness remain.
The report found that 82 per cent of healthcare professionals in India saw improvements in workflow efficiency through AI, while 80 per cent reported better access to consolidated patient data across care teams.
AI is also freeing up time for healthcare workers. Some 58 per cent of those surveyed said they saved at least 132 hours a year on average through AI, equivalent to more than three working weeks. Among those reporting time savings, 75 per cent said the additional time was helping them have more thorough interactions with patients.
“India is leapfrogging towards an AI-enabled future for healthcare, and the signs are already evident,” said Bharath Sesha, Managing Director, Philips Indian Subcontinent.
Sesha said the focus was shifting from demonstrating AI’s potential to scaling its use responsibly, adding that India had an opportunity to lead in the adoption of AI to deliver healthcare at scale.
The report also pointed to potential benefits for healthcare workers. About 71 per cent said AI had improved their work-life balance, while 69 per cent reported lower stress and 69 per cent said they were doing less overtime or taking less work home.
At the same time, healthcare professionals flagged gaps in training and safeguards. Some 86 per cent said AI outputs require human oversight, while 78 per cent said they had needed to correct misinformation generated by AI.
Nearly half, or 45 per cent, said AI training at their organisations was limited or inconsistent, pointing to the need for stronger skills development and technical support as adoption grows.
The report also found that 83 per cent of healthcare professionals believe AI can help reduce differences in quality of care between healthcare settings, while 77 per cent expect new roles to emerge as the technology becomes more deeply embedded in healthcare delivery.
Patient acceptance is also growing, with 68 per cent saying generative AI had helped them make better use of their time with their doctor, according to the report.