American College of Radiology Council approves ‘groundbreaking’ framework for assessing AI
The American College of Radiology Council on Tuesday approved a “groundbreaking” framework for assessing the real-world deployment of AI.
Imaging leaders voted to OK the new Practice Parameter for Imaging Artificial Intelligence during ACR’s annual meeting, being held through May 6 in Washington, D.C. Developed in conjunction with the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine, the document outlines steps imaging facilities can follow to implement, utilize and continually update AI tools.
The practice parameter applies to radiologists, techs, physicists, informaticists, administrators and others who deploy AI.
"Responsible use of AI in healthcare, particularly when dealing with critical patient data like medical imaging, is an ongoing process rather than a single event,” SIIM Board Chair Nabile Safdar, MD, said in a statement from ACR, shared May 5. “It demands a dedicated team consistently applying processes supported by methods and technology.”
ACR and SIIM said the parameters help explain how practices can choose AI tools, evaluate them before deployment, track performance over time, and protect patient privacy. The document also details steps including how to set up a governance group, keep an inventory of AI tools in use, run local acceptance testing and monitor real-world model performance. Safdar noted that the parameters are based on principles of AI science, interoperability standards, expert involvement and “methodological precision.”
“This collaborative effort between SIIM and the ACR transforms these foundations into practical guidance that any imaging practice can implement to improve patient care now,” he added.
A new article published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology also details the technical framework for Assess-AI. This marks the world’s first AI quality registry and data service, further helping practices monitor and improve AI performance. ACR and SIIM said they’ll continue working with leadership at both the Food and Drug Administration and Congress, hoping to serve as a “central role in the future of radiology AI.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.