Pioneering new AI technology is being introduced to assist in identifying possible broken bones and dislocations in emergency patients across northern Lincolnshire.
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust is one of a handful of NHS trusts taking part in the two-year NHS England pilot scheme, which will launch later this month.
Our Emergency Department and Radiography teams will be using the cloud-based software as an additional tool to assist our expert teams, highlighting the presence of possible fractures, dislocations, and joint effusions.
The trial will have some exceptions, and we will not be using the technology for patients under the age of two, or for inpatient and outpatient clinics. In addition, we will not use it for chest, spine, skull, facial, or soft tissue imaging, regardless of the age of the patient.
The final diagnosis will always be made by one of our expert clinicians.
Advanced Practitioner Reporting Radiographer, Jake Bates, said: “We’re delighted to be a pioneer in using AI software in this area and believe it could have significant benefits for our patients, assisting us in diagnosing issues more quickly and reducing the amount of time they need to spend in our Emergency Departments.
“The way it works is that alongside the standard image, the patient record will also contain a near-instant AI annotated version of the image which will highlight any potential issues which the clinician may want to examine further.
“However, it’s important to note that this is not about replacing clinical expertise – every X Ray will still be examined by our clinicians, and they will make the final decision about the diagnosis and the correct course of treatment for that patient.”
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Abdul Khan, added: “We, like many acute hospitals, are seeing increasing demand for emergency care.
“Making use of AI technology to assist in identifying potential issues has been shown to help to meet this demand in Emergency Departments across northern Europe and we are excited to see if it has a similar impact here.”
