The novel Coronavirus pandemic created an urgent need for efficacious predictive diagnostics methods which has currently led to an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging. Since increasing number of people are suffering from already existing comorbidities like cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and renal diseases, AI holds promising potentials for medical imaging in the upcoming years.
The market for AI in medical imaging is positioned to grow at an astonishing rate in the coming decade. However, there is a need for better diagnostic standards for medical AI. This is being achieved by identifying challenges for the technology’s implementation, empowering medical societies and by standardizing the medical evaluation processes.
AI based medical imaging systems pertaining to X-ray and CT (Computed Tomography) need to have fixed algorithms across healthcare facilities worldwide since these algorithms sometimes behave in unpredictable ways.
Furthermore, adding performance metrics to software based AI medical imaging systems with respect to accuracy, transparency and auditability are anticipated to improve patient outcomes.
Lastly, we recommend that this phased development and evaluation process to be accommodated into the med-tech company’s system development process just like the pharmaceutical industry performs its drug development studies by complying with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines.
Apart from established economies like the U.S. and Europe, AI in medical imaging is gaining prominence in Africa. Radiographers working in healthcare facilities of Africa are showing their willingness to accept AI in medical imaging. But there is a need for guarantee about job security and protection of patient records in order to employ large-scale adoption of AI in medical imaging within Africa. AI related training programs and roadmaps are emerging as important schemes for the technology’s successful implementation in the coming decade.
In all aspects, AI is gaining strong grounds in medical imaging where med-tech companies need to continuously invest in research and development programs to gain an edge over others in the global healthcare ecosystem.
