In the outpatient hall of Anhui Provincial Hospital of China, an artificial intelligent (AI) robot named “Xiao yi” is wandering around to assist doctors with making initial diagnosis for patients.
Robot Xiao yi is helping a patient.(Image by FAN Qiong)
Artificial Intelligence Aided Diagnosis and Treatment Center, which is established jointly by Anhui Provincial Hospital of China and iFlytek, has been operated for almost a year since August 20, 2017. “Xiao yi” is one example of the AI programs applied in the hospital to help with medical cases.
Artificial Intelligence Aided Diagnosis and Treatment Center.(Image by FAN Qiong)
LU Xiaoliang, deputy general manager of iFlytek, said, “I’m glad we chose to research on application of AI in the medical sector rather than medical informatization or internet-based medical treatment. We believe it can improve both efficiency and ability of the doctor.”
iFlytek has multiple advantages of high technology, such as voice technology, image recognition and natural language processing. Moreover, they recognized that medical problems root in the lack of high-quality medical resources which can be settled by AI through empowering doctors.
“Yun Yisheng”, meaning cloud doctor, is another clinical application of iFlytek in the form of APP. It integrates several systems including medical advice entry, image data examining and medical record writing to improve physician’s productivity.
QI Yinbao, a doctor from neurosurgery department, said, “ Yun Yisheng not only makes us more efficient by reducing medical record writing time, but also provides us a platform to learn by ourselves through reading latest research and comparing our diagnosis with intelligent diagnosis. Besides, it has high security level to prevent data from divulging.”
Doctor QI Yinbao is illustrating Yun Yisheng.(Image by FAN Qiong)
Image diagnosis cloud platform also enables Doctor QI to help rural practitioners remotely, and this is vital for speeding up diagnosis and preventing misdiagnosis in diseases concerning lung and breast.
The number of “Yun Yisheng” views by clinicians increased from 1500 in 2017 to 2260 in first half year of 2018 alone, in other words, there is an average increase from 1.15 to 1.5 per day, indicating that more and more clinicians are using this APP.
Challenges do occur as YAN Guang, the vice president of the hospital, put it, “It is difficult to establish a standard for Intelligent Hospital, but we are trying to make it according to the development of hospital and its classification. Furthermore, administrative obstacles should be overcome for the sake of the patients.”
LU Xiaoliang shared similar view, for iFlytek needs to develop related technologies as well as build up a business mode. “Government’s support is crucial for promoting the program”, he said, “AI medical treatment first needs to pass the audit standards, such as the standard set by CFDA, then it should be industrialized through a certain business mode, such as putting AI project into medical insurance.”
Challenges come along with opportunities. Since the establishment of Intelligent Hospital, the government has invested 3.8 million yuan and a team is formed special for AI application developing.
The team specially for AI medical applications.(Image by FAN Qiong)
Besides Anhui Provincial Hospital of China, iFlytek is also cooperating with more than 100 third class hospitals nationwide，and looking for more in the future.
(Written by Mairebaha, Edited by GUO Jianjian, USTC News Center)
