Artificial intelligence (AI) could reduce the number of fractures missed when doctors analyze X-rays, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The health review body says research suggests the technology is safe and can speed diagnosis, reduce pressure on clinicians and reduce the need for follow-up appointments.
Four AI tools are set to be recommended for use in emergency care in the UK, with further evidence being gathered on the benefits of the technologies.
The AI does not work alone, and each image is examined by a medical professional.
NICE says fractures are missed in 3-10% of cases and are the most common diagnostic error in emergency departments.
There is also a lack of trained professionals in the NHS to take and analyze thousands of X-ray images every day, and the workload involved is huge.
According to the UK NHS Long Term Plan, the vacancy rate is 12.5% for radiologists and 15% for radiographers.
According to NICE, the solution is to harness the power of AI to collaborate with clinicians.
Mark Chapman, director of medical technology at NICE, said this would make their jobs easier.
“These AI techniques are safe to use, and given the pressures and demands under which these expert groups work, they have the potential to uncover fractures that humans would otherwise miss,” he said.
Chapman said AI tools could speed up diagnosis and reduce the number of follow-up appointments needed because fractures are missed during initial evaluation.
NICE said the technology was “unlikely” to lead to incorrect diagnoses or an increase in unnecessary referrals to fracture clinics, as radiologists constantly review X-ray images.
This process would be better than having clinicians view the images themselves, the journal said.
There is great potential for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
It is already being used to detect early signs of breast cancer in scans, identify people at highest risk of heart attack and predict when the next pandemic will occur.
The consultation on this draft NICE guidance on the use of AI ends on 5 November.
