Summary of findings about implementation: How AI was implemented varied; local service context influenced how AI was used. Implementation requires resources, time and collaboration between NHS staff & AI suppliers. Need to ensure that AI tools selected address challenges faced by services.
Summary of findings about impact: AI is effective at improving x-ray reporting times for likely cancer cases. The impact on reporting times may depend on other changes brought in by trusts. AI’s impact on the number of follow up referrals varied by trust, but not by ethnicity.
Summary of findings about cost: Staff time was not reduced in current implementation. Project management, IT and monitoring were the main implementation costs. AI was cost-effective overall but had negligible health benefits.
Our verdict: AI has potential to be implemented at scale, with the right resourcing. But more needs to be understood about the impact on care and patient outcomes.
With the right resourcing, AI has the potential to be implemented at scale in NHS chest diagnostics.
We've summarised findings from the #RSET evaluation of the AI Diagnostics Fund.
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