New Delhi/Chennai, Apr 19 (PTI) In a move to expand its footprint in southern India and bolster preventive healthcare, a doctor-led, AI-enabled ecosystem offering real-time medical supervision beyond hospital
settings was launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The initiative aims to improve clinical outcomes for patients with chronic conditions preventing their escalation into serious illness and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac events.
At the core of the ecosystem -- iLive Connect -- is a small wireless biosensor patch paired with a wearable wristband, which monitors vital parameters such as heart activity and blood pressure in realtime.
As part of the system, data is tracked 24x7 by experienced doctors at a remote command centre, who alert patients and their families in case of any abnormality.
Around 40 doctors, including Dr Thillai Vallal, Managing Director of Venkateswara Hospitals; Dr MA Raja, Director and senior consultant in Medical Oncology at MGM Healthcare; Dr Amit Kumar, critical care physician; Dr Prashanth Krishna, MD of Prashanth Group of Hospitals and Dr Manoj SivaramaKrishnan, senior interventional cardiologist at Kavery Hospital, were present during the launch event held at Chennai on Sunday.
After Chennai, the platform will gradually be launched soon in the remaining southern states as well, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and founder of iLive Connect, Dr Rahul Chandola, said.
India faces a substantial cardiovascular burden, with nearly 8,000 deaths reported daily due to heart disease, he said. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 heart attacks occur every day, of which 3,000 to 5,000 prove fatal, often without prior clinical warning, said Dr Chandola.
He stated that traditional symptom-driven care is increasingly proving inadequate, particularly as cardiac conditions are being detected more frequently among younger and asymptomatic individuals.
In response, clinicians are adopting continuous cardiac-monitoring platforms such as iLive Connect, which allow real-time tracking of physiological parameters and enable early identification of potential risks.
According to Dr Chandola, continuous monitoring across more than 1,000 patients has demonstrated the ability to detect subclinical and transient abnormalities that may be missed during conventional episodic evaluations.
"Realtime physiological data allows earlier recognition of cardiac instability, enabling timely intervention and potentially preventing acute events," he said.
Dr Viveka Kumar, co-founder of iLive Connect and a senior cardiologist, said these platforms act as an extension of clinical care beyond hospitals, allowing doctors to monitor patients remotely and make data-driven decisions even in ambulatory settings.
A key feature of the system is multi-day heart health screening, particularly useful for asymptomatic individuals.
The platform enables continuous assessment over five to seven days, capturing physiological data under real-world conditions, integrating multiple cardiac and systemic parameters, and identifying intermittent or stress-induced abnormalities, Dr Kumar explained.
This approach provides a more comprehensive profile compared to single-point diagnostic tests and supports early risk stratification and preventive care, he said.
The technology also addresses a critical gap in the post-discharge phase, especially during the first two to four weeks when patients remain vulnerable.
Continuous monitoring during this period enables early detection of deterioration and facilitates timely clinical intervention, potentially reducing readmissions.
"Such systems ensure continuity of care and help minimise unrecognised complications during recovery," Chandola noted.
Beyond cardiac care, the platform is being used in the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, he said.
It is also proving beneficial for geriatric patients, particularly those living independently, by providing ongoing physiological monitoring and access to medical support, Dr Kumar said. PTI PLB MNK
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