An AI tool is speeding up patient discharges in UK
What's the story
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is trialing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool at a London hospital trust. The innovative platform, which is being tested at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, aims to speed up patient discharges by automating the completion of necessary documents. This could potentially save hours of delays and free up much-needed beds for new patients.
Efficiency boost
AI tool can reduce paperwork for doctors
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has emphasized the potential of this AI tool to reduce paperwork for doctors, allowing them to focus more on patient care. The platform works by extracting information from medical records such as diagnoses and test results. This data is then used to draft discharge summaries that are essential before a patient can be sent home from the hospital.
Time saver
It hopes to change manual filing system
The traditional manual system for preparing discharge summaries can often leave patients waiting for hours. This is because doctors are sometimes too busy to fill in the required forms. The new AI tool hopes to change this by speeding up the process, thus reducing waiting times and improving overall patient experience at hospitals.
Digital shift
AI part of NHS's digital transformation
Streeting also highlighted the AI tool as a key part of the NHS's digital transformation under its 10-year health plan. He said, "This potentially transformational discharge tool is a prime example of how we're shifting from analog to digital as part of our 10-year health plan." The platform will be hosted on the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), a software system designed to improve collaboration and service delivery between health and care organizations.
Tech integration
UK government integrating AI into other public services
The UK government is also integrating AI into other public services. For instance, tech that can cut probation officers' note-taking time by half will be rolled out later this year. The NHS is also testing an AI system that scans hospital databases for potential safety issues, offering an early warning system to detect patterns or trends and trigger urgent inspections.