QEUH Becomes First NHS Site to Roll Out Head-CT AI Trial
Published: 18 April 2024
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) has become the first of four planned NHS sites to implement a pioneering trial which aims to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to improve turnaround times for CT scans and reduce A&E pressures.
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) has become the first of four planned NHS sites to implement a pioneering trial which aims to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to improve turnaround times for CT scans and reduce A&E pressures.
The trial, which utilises the qER head CT Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution from Qure.ai, seeks to improve radiology report turnaround times for non-contrast CT head scans by creating prioritised reporting worklists of critical findings. This will allow Emergency Department (ED) clinicians to make faster decisions about the care, management and discharge of patients with head injuries.
In the first few weeks of its implementation over the 2023/24 winter period, qER analysed 651 non-contrast head CTs, detecting 128 potentially critical findings including cranial fractures, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), mass effect and mid-line shift within the brain.
The trial, called ACcEPT (Assess the Clinical Effectiveness in Prioritising CT Heads), is supported by the University of Glasgow’s Digital Health Validation Lab (DHVL). The DHVL has provided specialist guidance and support throughout various stages, from the inception and running of the trial to the evaluation of the AI technology.
Professor David Lowe, Director of Clinical Innovation at the University of Glasgow and Emergency Medicine Consultant at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “Emergency Departments across the country continue to face challenges with one person presenting at a UK ED every 90 seconds, potentially requiring brain imaging.
“By utilising the opportunities of innovative AI to help prioritise urgent cases, we will look to accelerate decision making for critical interventions whilst improving workflow and time in the ED for patients with normal scans.
“The study, amongst a number within the DHVL portfolio, is providing evidence to support adoption of AI across the UK in responding to our current healthcare delivery challenges. We hope this solution will enable clinical teams to deliver critical clinical care, reassurance, and when appropriate, discharge releasing capacity and space for patients in our pressured system.”
Find out more about the ACcEPT trial here.
First published: 18 April 2024
