AI can detect glaucoma as well as specialists: Study
A new study found that AI can detect glaucoma about as well as glaucoma experts, spotting 78% of real cases and ruling out disease in 95%.
Researchers tested the tech on adults in Lisbon, comparing its results with six specialists.
AI outperforms human experts
The AI did even better in real-world tests using low-cost cameras run by nondoctors.
Offline smartphone triage studies reported sensitivities near 94%; no comparable 60% detection rate for human experts in the same real-world settings is documented.
In specialist clinics, AI tools have shown high accuracy.
AI could spot vision issues earlier
The source study does not report a multi-year lead time for earlier detection.
By combining OCT, visual field, and clinical data, a multimodal model predicted the need for incisional surgery (reported AUROC 0.92) without specifying a multi-year lead time.
How AI can help in India
With India having one-fifth of the world's glaucoma burden (and most cases missed until it's too late), AI could be a game-changer.
At a Pune camp, it helped catch early-stage glaucoma in a patient who would have otherwise gone unnoticed.