Machine learning (ML) is an application of AI (artificial intelligence), which deals with the study of capability of a computer to learn from the given data to gain knowledge in making predictions and decisions based on its experience. Such technology can benefit healthcare industry to a great extent. It is the fastest growing industry with high rates of progress in the field of health with new technologies emerging rapidly. These can be extended to a wide range of clinical tasks and prediction tasks since the performance of ML algorithms has been proved to be more than that of humans. Nowadays, all of the patient data has been recorded on computers, and the existing patient data can be used by the doctors and examiners for follow-ups. ML algorithms use this existing data and analyze them to identify patterns that are used to make precise diagnosis and provide better care to patients. With the invention of wearables, all the patient data has been monitored and stored, which is then used by ML for better patient management. ML algorithms are also being used to accurately predict the progress of a disease. This innovation can give chances to improve the proficiency and quality of healthcare. © 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston. All rights reserved.