NHS Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab) was created in 2019 to accelerate the adoption of proven AI technologies, encourage the development of AI technologies, create environments to test the safety and efficacy of AI technologies. NHSX runs AI Lab programs with support from NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
In late April 2021, NHSX released a "2020-21: A year in the life of the NHS AI Lab" report representing NHS AI Lab work progress, results of 2021 AI in Health and Care Survey, case studies, and plans for the future.
In the AI in Health and Care survey, digital health innovators, developers, and those procuring and implementing AI-driven technologies for health and care are being asked to share their perspective on the maturity of the AI landscape and feedback on the work of the NHS AI Lab. The results of the 2021 survey were compared with a similar survey from 2019.
Three key findings of the survey are presented below:
- Diagnostics is the most popular area for AI in health and care. Survey participants were asked about the area of focus of their technology; they were allowed to select more than one area of focus. Same as in 2019, the 2021 survey indicates the use of AI is dominant in the following four areas: diagnostics (57%), remote monitoring (34%), triage (32%), and population health (25%);
- AI products have some way to go before large-scale use. Although the readiness levels for the deployment of AI technologies in health and care have significantly increased from 2019 to 2021, it is still in the early stages;
- The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced progress.
NHSX reported how NHS AI Lab has progressed with its work programs, including AI in Health and Care Award, AI for multiple long-term conditions, AI in imaging, AI Skunkworks, and others.
NHS AI Lab announced its plans for 2021 that includes the following:
- Continue supporting the pandemic response through increasing use of the National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database;
- Collaborate with other NHS programs, government, and the health and care sector to ensure that progress in the use of AI is part of the broader innovation and transformation of the NHS;
- Work with a steady supply of early-stage AI technologies to get them tested and trialed within 1-2 years;
- Help the most promising technologies to get approved, commissioned, and into widespread use in the NHS;
- Develop a National Medical Imaging Platform to provide developers and researchers with high-quality data that reflects a wide population base on a large geographical scale;
- Work with the health and care sector to investigate the potential of using AI to solve a variety of problems by testing and prototyping rapid skunkworks projects
- And others.
See the full details here.
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