Hospitals in London to start using AI for tasks typically performed by doctors, nurses

A new partnership between University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the Alan Turing Institute aims to start using artificial intelligence (AI) to perform certain tasks typically carried out by doctors and nurses.

Using machine learning to view CT images of heavy smokers is just one example of what researchers will be focused on during the three-year partnership, according to a new report from the Guardian. The researchers will also work on improving the efficiency of UCLH’s accident and emergency departments and identifying the patients most likely not to show up for scheduled appointments.

“Machines will never replace doctors, but the use of data, expertise and technology can radically change how we manage our services—for the better,” Prof Marcel Levi, UCLH chief executive, said, as quoted in the Guardian.

Professor Chris Holmes, director for health at the Alan Turing Institute, said in the same report that the goal is for these technologies to give employees more time to provide high-quality care. “We want to take out the more mundane stuff which is purely information driven and allow time for things the human expert is best at,” Holmes said in the report.

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Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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