Artificial Intelligence : Revolution In Health Care

"This is our strength, we have a deep understanding of what is takes to get algorithms into practise."

"It is in our DNA, we have been doing it for so long."

Dr. Doug Manuel, head, TD Artificial Intelligence in Medicine hub, The Ottawa Hospital

"The promise of what AI can deliver to the system is something that has galvanized people more than anything I have seen [in recent years]."

"The computer is able to take this huge amount of information. It can integrate it pretty quickly and be able to give us some sense of severity of the disease and help in terms of evaluation."

Dr. Fahad Razak, internist, Canada Research Chairperson in Healthcare Data and Analytics, University of Toronto

"[AI can also potentially be used to predict who will develop cancer, Parkinson's disease and other serious illnesses]."

"That is what we foresee this work is going to evolve into. We are very excited about what the next two to three years will bring."

"[AI should enable better planning and use of resources."

Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, scientist, Women's College Hospital, Toronto

 

Artificial intelligence is becoming an indispensable tool in medical science, from early detection of disease to reducing the burden carried by doctors' responsibilities, the essential methods of medical practise are changing. There are some elements that have already long been put into use, despite the excitement and emphasis just latterly being demonstrated over what can be accomplished with the use of artificial intelligence.

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital pioneered predictive tools that are recognized as the foundation of AI, placing Ottawa-based researchers and health providers at the forefront of what is fast becoming an AI revolution in health care. An algorithm used by doctors around the world for the last three decades to accurately predict which patients appearing in emergency departments with injured ankles have broken bones and require X-rays, was developed in Ottawa.

Named the Ottawa Ankle Rules, published in 1992 by emergency department doctors of what was known back then as the Ottawa Civic Hospital, led by Dr. Ian Stiell, the predictive tool has become a mainstay globally. Over the years clinical testing confirmed the rules accurately assist doctors to separate the diagnosis of sprained ankles from broken ankles, resulting in a reduction of wait times and the required use of X-ray machines.

According to the rules, an X-ray is required only if pain is felt in one of two specific zones of the foot, and the patient is unable to bear weight. Not only is the development and use of the predictive algorithm a strength of researchers and clinicians in Ottawa, they represent as well foundations of artificial intelligence. What is undergoing change is data increasingly available now to create predictive algorithms and other AI forms to assist health-care providers in decision making and to predict which patients are most at risk.

Dr. Razak, at University of Toronto, spoke of AI's potential during a session on artificial intelligence, remarking that although AI has not yet significantly influenced care delivered at patient bedsides, he anticipates this to change within the next five years. Use of artificial intelligence to predict who will develop Type 2 diabetes and to predict which patients are at highest risk to be transferred to intensive care with deteriorating conditions are among projects already underway with AI.

At the University of Ottawa Heart Institute artificial intelligence is being used to guide doctors in making more accurate diagnoses more expeditiously based on information garnered from some diagnostic imaging of the heart. Huge amounts of information can be made available through imaging with a computer to determine whether a patient is in danger as a result of arteries narrowing, and the urgency involved when immediate treatment is required.