Mammograms and CT scans, so AI helps doctors detect what is suspicious

In Italy, more than 70 million diagnostic imaging services are performed every year for a constantly growing business that globally aims to reach 60 billion dollars by 2030. As the population ages and chronic diseases multiply, examinations such as X-rays, ultrasound scans, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans and mammograms are growing at a rate of 15-20% per year. For Henry Izawa, Head of Global Medical Informatics Division of Fujifilm Corporation, and President and CEO of Fujifilm Healthcare Americas, this increase in demand translates into "a huge amount of data to manage, and at the same time, more pressure on radiologists".

'Artificial intelligence (AI),' he adds, 'can optimise workflows, maximise productivity, decrease workloads and improve response times, while ensuring better outcomes for patients. But AI can by no means replace the experience and expertise of professionals. The goal is always to improve outcomes for patients, not to replace doctors'.

A concrete example comes from mammography screening programmes, institutionalised in many countries around the world: 'AI supports radiologists in quickly distinguishing what is suspicious from what is not, allowing more time for complex cases and ensuring more timely diagnostic and therapeutic pathways.

Izawa also explains that 'there are two challenges to achieving AI integration: the regulatory process on the one hand and the adaptation of clinicians on the other', adding, however, 'that clinicians have become more open to AI, recognising its value in improving both efficiency and outcomes'.

"Artificial intelligence is no longer something that belongs to the future. It is already part of everyday work, and when it is developed in a secure, transparent and privacy-friendly way, it becomes an extraordinary support for clinicians. Our responsibility is to ensure that these tools really serve people,' Izawa concludes.