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For a long time, the radiology industry has relied on traditional imaging, like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. These imaging tests have been instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions, including fractures, cancers, heart diseases, neurological disorders, and more.
Thanks to significant advances in technology, radiologists, support staff, and patients can now reap the benefits of intelligent imaging. Here at Fast Chart, we’re here to dive deeper into the importance of intelligent imaging and how it has revolutionized radiology.
Limitations of Traditional Radiology Modalities
There’s no denying that traditional radiology methods have been vital for radiologists and medical professionals that aim to provide the highest quality patient care and best clinical outcomes. However, these methods are not perfect and come with a few noteworthy limitations. Firstly, they depend on the human eye and brain to process a great deal of information. In addition, they may lead to inaccurate diagnoses, especially if the radiologist has limited experience and expertise.
What is Intelligent Imaging, And How Can It Help?
Intelligent imaging involves artificial intelligence or AI, which can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as image interpretation. Through advanced machine learning and robust learning algorithms, intelligent imaging can increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment in radiology.
Here’s a brief overview of how they work: Robust learning algorithms recognize data patterns, learn from their work, and improve their performance as time goes on. Machine learning mimics the human brain, allowing the algorithm to process all types of information, including medical images.
Not only can AI systems interpret medical images, they can also assist with positioning patients on the equipment, choosing the ideal radiation doses and imaging tests, and even scheduling patient appointments.
Benefits of Intelligent Imaging
AI-powered medical imaging opens the doors to a plethora of benefits for radiologists, patients, and the healthcare community as a whole. These include the following:
Greater Accuracy
Intelligent imaging allows for unmatched accuracy in diagnosis, which can ultimately improve patient outcomes. With AI, there are no distractions, fatigue, or concerns about limited radiology experience. Note that algorithms will only be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if they are 80% to 90% accurate in most cases. Also, the FDA requires that a human reviews what the algorithm finds and approves it for accuracy.
Increased Efficiency
AI-supported imaging can do wonders for efficiency in radiology. Compared to human radiologists, AI has the ability to review and analyze images in far less time. This can drastically enhance patient care by reducing wait times, detecting serious health issues earlier, and improving medical workflows. It can also support patients at home through portable imaging tests administered via a smartphone app or other readily available tools. In the healthcare industry, where time is of the essence, improved efficiency is essential. In fact, it has the potential to save lives.
Improved Patient Monitoring
Due to the power of intelligent imaging, healthcare professionals can monitor patients and track small and large changes in their conditions with ease. In patients with chronic or life-threatening conditions like cancer, this is vital for determining whether treatments are effective and making the most informed decisions for next steps. While traditional imaging modalities are usually unable to show how much a tumor is alive or dead, AI-powered imaging can.
Keep in mind that although intelligent imaging will never fully replace the need for highly trained and experienced radiologists, it is a real game-changer for the healthcare industry. As long as it’s used properly and approved by the FDA, it can benefit radiologists, patients, families, support professionals, and everyone in between. For more questions about our services, feel free to call our office toll-free at 1-800-334-6606.