HCPs should build ecosystems with innovative preventive health tech

India’s preventive healthcare market is skyrocketing—growing with a 22% CAGR from 2022 to 2025. For the greatest impact, healthcare providers must pick up the baton and join with innovative technology vendors in new ecosystems of healthcare value.

Aarca Research is an example of an innovative and proprietary preventive healthcare technology solution. Its Intelligent Health Risk Assessment (IHRA) delivers a rapid and non-invasive assessment of an individual’s risk of developing metabolic health conditions related to type 2 diabetes, hypertension (raised blood pressure), and dyslipidemia before it needs treatment. Recognizing health risks before symptoms appear can transform people’s lives and cut long-term healthcare costs for insurers and other healthcare providers.

IHRA solution spots type 2 diabetes and blood pressure risks with just one minute on camera

Most health screening solutions include questionnaire-based risk assessment tools and invasive blood tests. Both are weak indicators of risk. Blood tests, for example, do not identify early indications of developing chronic metabolic and cardiovascular conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.

Aarca Research’s IHRA solution is a pre-diagnostic method for the early detection of these conditions. It uses a thermal camera to record images of the patient in about one minute. AI software processes the image and generates a report revealing the risks the patient faces (see Exhibit 1).

Exhibit 1: IHRA uses thermal imaging and AI software to detect the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia

Source: Aarca Research

Aarca Research was established in early 2019. The company has published results from independent clinical trials conducted on more than 500 people. It was awarded a patent for IHRA in 2022.

Aarca’s clients include firms like TASIL, NTPC, and Optum, and current partners include Medibuddy, Nova Benefits, KIMS hospital, and the National Health Authority (Government of India). It recently began generating revenue in India through partners offering corporate wellness programs. It has also entered the US market as a general wellness device, as defined in FDA guidance documentation.

The Bottom Line: It will take a range of preventive health technologies like IHRA to deliver desired healthcare outcomes. Healthcare providers can only benefit from working with them.

IHRA is painless, non-invasive, real time, and low cost. But Aarca needs a network of partners to spread its use and help embed it as one of the services in a range of preventive technologies and activities that can help improve lives, reduce the need for medical intervention, and reduce costs. Healthcare providers keen to lower costs and improve health should pay close attention to such innovations and be open to working together to deliver shared aims.