The Wilhelmina Hospital Assen (WZA) is the first regional hospital to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in making heartily. “With AI we add something to the intelligence of humans,” says cardiologist Jacco Karper.
Together with Echolaborant Gerrie Venema, he took the initiative to use artificial intelligence in making heartily. The hospital does this at the same time with Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. “It brings quality to a higher level and gives time savings. This creates room for extra ultrasounds and therefore availability of care.”
Until recently, Echolaborants took all measurements themselves. In the new situation, AI software largely takes over. “Co-intelligence”, the initiators call it. “You have to see it as a system that thinks along and supports us in accelerating the analyzes,” says Venema. Nevertheless, the hospital continues to check the results. “We see what the system measures, check the measurements and can make adjustments.”
Cardiologist Karper emphasizes that people always remain involved. “The laboratory technician must get confidence in the system and at the same time keep a healthy form of distrust.”
The use of AI ensures more quality in different ways, says Karper. “In addition to adding co-intelligence, you also get the inter-observer variation out, as we call it. In other words: the system does the measurements and reporting for each laboratory technician in the same way. As a result, as a cardiologist you are less dependent on the individual echo-laborant.”
There has been a shortage of Echolaborants for years, while the demand for care is increasing. That is a problem for hospitals, because many cardiological patients have to undergo an ultrasound. Carp sees the benefits of AI here. “In the WZA we try to make new applications work in our favor. To keep care available and the quality high.”
According to the WZA, the AI software meets the applicable requirements and has the required certification. The data from the patients are stored safely within the WZA and do not leave the hospital.