Artificial intelligence-supported early fracture diagnosis

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Artificial intelligence-supported early fracture diagnosis

  • IRAS ID

    271600

  • Contact name

    Corri Black

  • Contact email

    corri.black@abdn.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Aberdeen

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    DaSH330, DaSH safe haven number

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 2 days

  • Research summary

    Each year in Scotland, the NHS gives some 5,000 patients x-rays of wrists, hands, ankles and feet, most often looking for a fracture after trauma. Although isolated injuries in these areas are often categorised as ‘minor’, misdiagnosis and consequent mismanagement can result in significant impact for patients and financial costs to the NHS.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) or “machine learning” (a set of procedure rules to take in clinical data such as X-rays, assess the risk of a fracture and present this risk and information to a clinical team) could be developed to help clinicians make diagnoses.

    To develop AI or machine learning tools and to take these tools to the level of “approved for health care use” and integrated into the appropriate IT and/or equipment for healthcare use requires a partnership between NHS, academia and industry.

    NHS Grampian A&E and Radiology clinicians have identified that there is significant clinical need and are eager to work in partnership with those with the technical skills to develop potential solutions.

    This project seeks to take the first step by creating a small (100 patients) fully anonymised x-ray dataset (no patient names, addresses, date of birth or hospital numbers); creating an AI laboratory space within our local accredited secure data safe haven; enabling up to 5 NHS/Industry/Academic partnerships to securely access the data to see if they show potential to develop useful clinical solutions to support fracture detection.

    In a second phase, successful partnerships will be invited to apply for permission to access to a larger dataset to develop their solutions further.

  • REC name

    East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1

  • REC reference

    19/ES/0117

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Sep 2019

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion