Dubai - Over 2,500 images are processed daily at DHA's 20 medical fitness centres across the emirate.
Published: Tue 10 Apr 2018, 5:52 PM
Updated: Tue 10 Apr 2018, 8:32 PM
More accurate chest x-ray reports will now be delivered by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) as it deploys Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its fitness centres. Reports will now be issued in minutes instead of days.
The authority announced the preliminary results of the Chest X-ray AI algorithm that it is now in use across its medical fitness centres on Tuesday.
The collaboration is the first augmented intelligence (AI) validation in the UAE with an accuracy of over 90 per cent.
"The DHA has 1,300 employees - and with the two million visitors coming to Dubai - it was a choice between hiring more staff or using AI," said Dr Mohammed Al Redha, Director of Transformational Office.
Over 2,500 images are processed daily at DHA's 20 medical fitness centres across the emirate.
"This is a burden on medical professionals. There is always a chance of results being read wrong due to human error," he said.
The algorithm will detect all kinds of diseases - including tuberculosis - which leaves spots on the lungs and could affect the visa status of any resident as per UAE laws.
"Even while we use the algorithm, human skills are still needed. So both systems are being used at this point," he explained. In cases where spots are detected, doctors will check to confirm the status of the disease.
"The AI only detects and does not treat," said Redha.
Workflows
The DHA began reviewing the use of Artificial Intelligence enabled workflows in Radiology with Agfa HealthCare more than two years ago. The algorithm was able to correctly identify diseases in chest x-rays approximately 90 per cent of the time in phase one. Phase two results showed further improved sensitivity to 95 per cent in March 2018.
The Algorithm processed approximately 4,900 chest x-rays, and two DHA MFC Radiologists reviewed the findings detected by the AI.
Humaid Al Qutami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, said: "We are keen to foster the use of technology in the health sector and improve patient-centric care."
The total number of people who visited the DHA run medical fitness centres during 2017 for new and renewal visas were 2,126,066.
Medical fitness test is a mandatory requirement for all expats in the UAE. It is required for a residency, employment or education visa.
"The results are very promising. DHA will establish a framework of Artificial Intelligence workflow to augment radiology imaging," Redha added.
Maisa Al Bustani, Director of Medical Fitness at the DHA, said that based on preliminary results, DHA perceives definite benefits to incorporating AI into its workflow.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
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