Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) are trialling an artificial intelligence (AI) application that is designed to aid the detection of lung cancer on chest x-rays.
As part of the deal, PHU will also have access to an AI marketplace, which will help hospitals using the same picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) efficiently trial, procure, and deploy AI relating to radiology, breast and pathology imaging.
In view of this, the Trust are now evaluating a “deep learning algorithm” that will help health professionals more easily detect lung abnormalities that would otherwise be hidden by rib bone structures.
Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) Manager at PHU, Mark Gardner, said: “This has given us the ability to introduce AI into the clinical setting easily.
“Other than asking [supplier] to set up the trial, I didn’t need to do anything – the application just became available in the PACS. This has saved significant resources and months of work that would have been involved in IT preparation and setting up local infrastructure and server requirements – all of which has been avoided.
“The AI market has become saturated – I am contacted by all sorts of companies providing solutions. As we develop our AI strategy, and explore where AI can best be of assistance, the [supplier’s] Service will be invaluable in cutting down on time and effort and ensuring interoperability with our PACS. This is my go-to place, which we are already using to find other applications. And it means our SWASH partners can also quickly deploy and trial AI applications, from which we can learn.”
Any significant revelations from PHU’s trial will be relayed across heir partner hospitals in the SWASH consortium – a group of NHS Trusts that share a common PACS. This includes the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Gillian Simmons, a Radiographer Advanced Practitioner at the Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth, said: “The process for setting up this trial has been absolutely brilliant. Our evaluation will examine the effectiveness of the application in helping us to deliver diagnoses and care for our patients.”
For similar coverage on how AI can help lung cancer patients, click here.
