Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a term at the forefront of many industries, radiology foremost among them. Of course, advanced technologies and radiology have always been interrelated. The benefits provided by computer-assisted imaging, storage and sharing, for example, are innumerable and ever-advancing. The deep learning made possible through AI algorithms holds tremendous promise now and going forward in the areas of information gathering, integration and application to patient care. While some postulate that AI will eventually replace medical professionals, including radiologists, most in the industry agree this will not the be case. “AI’s function isn’t to replace the human factor, which is crucial to good medicine, but rather to perform tasks humans can’t,” says Musculoskeletal Radiology subspecialist Dr. Timothy R. Jones. “AI can recognize and interpret patterns in swaths of data too voluminous for humans to sort through. AI can use this data to streamline real-world environments, establish trends and help eliminate delays in care. It will make everything run faster without sacrificing quality.”
AI has already begun to improve tests such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, which is excellent at imaging all areas of the body, particularly soft tissues such as organs, muscles and fat. Despite its preferability for many exams, one of the factors that make MRI prohibitive is that it can take up to 90 minutes to perform and requires the patient to remain still throughout. Remaining immobile in an enclosed environment can make having an MRI feel claustrophobic to some patients, and, in cases such as stroke, it is too slow to be optimal.
"AI is going to influence medicine and radiology in many ways, including shortening the time of an MRI scan,” says Dr. Jones. “By using AI techniques, researchers have been able to perform scans up to 10 times faster than traditional techniques and obtain images with no significant differences in diagnostic quality. Once these techniques are fully developed, an entire MRI scan may take just five minutes. That will present a giant leap forward in patient care."
AI is already able to delineate fine details in imaging exams like computed tomography (CT), identifying the different chambers of the heart, brain hemorrhages, and stroke damage. By working in partnership with radiologists, who have many years of advanced education and training, AI strengthens accuracy by spotting patterns in dense information without being subject to tedium, exhaustion or time constraints.
“AI can provide the red flag, which helps us employ the fastest, most accurate confirmatory test, diagnosis and treatment plan,” says Dr. Jones. “When it comes to patient care, the combination of speed and accuracy always supports the most favorable outcome, which is, ultimately, a human mission.”
