Nine new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies could be set to streamline patient pathways, thanks to new draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The news, which represents the first time NICE has recommended AI to help health professionals in their role, could support up to 100,000 hours of saved clinical time.
The guidance will speed up the process in which radiographers outline healthy organs prior to radiotherapy treatment – also known as contouring. This is done, so the treatment avoids healthy cells and only impacts the site of the cancer.
Any contours created by AI must still be reviewed manually and edited as necessary, although evidence seen by NICE indicates that AI generally performs at the same level as experts, with only minor adjustments usually needed.
