Introduction
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) has introduced Annalise.ai’s AI chest X-ray solution to enhance diagnostic speed and patient care.
Key Features of the AI Solution
- Over 135,000 chest X-rays conducted annually at LTHT, critical for urgent clinical decisions.
- The software identifies up to 85 different findings, including:
- Lung cancer indicators
- Acute infections
- Misplaced feeding and breathing tubes
- Results are delivered in minutes, acting as a ‘second pair of eyes’ for clinicians.
Expert Insights
Dr. Fahmid Chowdhury, consultant radiologist and clinical lead for the project, emphasized the importance of this technology:
“This technology is about putting patients first. By helping busy frontline staff detect serious conditions quickly and accurately, Annalise’s Enterprise CXR solution will support clinical decision-making and allow us to get patients the treatment they need faster.”
Partnerships and Support
The initiative is supported by the NHS AI Diagnostic Fund and facilitated through the Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative. LTHT has collaborated with:
- Annalise.ai for the AI solution
- Newton’s Tree as a vendor-neutral platform
Impact on Patient Safety
The software is expected to enhance patient safety by:
- Promptly detecting critical conditions like chest sepsis
- Reducing the risk of avoidable complications
Future Prospects
Annalise.ai’s technology can detect up to 124 findings on chest X-rays and 130 findings on non-contrast head CT scans, adaptable for various clinical scenarios.
Dr. Aengus Tran, co-founder and CEO of Annalise.ai, stated:
“We are happy to partner with LTHT and Newton’s Tree to bring our AI-powered diagnostic support to the frontline of patient care.”
Funding and Expansion
In May 2024, six imaging networks in England selected Annalise.ai as their preferred provider for early lung cancer diagnosis through the NHS AI Diagnostic Fund, which has a budget of £21 million aimed at accelerating AI deployment in healthcare.
The Annalise.ai chest X-ray tool will soon be accessible to radiologists across multiple imaging networks, including:
- Greater Manchester Imaging Network
- North East and North Cumbria Imaging Network
- Cheshire and Merseyside Radiology Imaging Network
- East Midlands Imaging Network
- Surrey, Sussex and Frimley Imaging Network
- Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative