According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to reduce the number of fractures and broken bones when doctors analyze X-rays.

The health assessment body says research shows the technology is safe and can speed up diagnoses, relieve pressure on physicians and reduce the need for some follow-up appointments.

Four AI tools will be recommended for use in urgent care in England, while more evidence is collected on the benefits of the technology.

The AI ​​won’t work alone — each image will be reviewed by a health care professional.

NICE says broken bones are missed in 3-10% of cases – making it the most common diagnostic error in emergency departments.

And trained specialists who perform and analyze thousands of X-ray images every day in the NHS are in short supply with heavy workloads.

The vacancy rate for Radiologist is 12.5% ​​and for Radiographer is 15% Long term plan for the NHS in England,

The solution, according to NICE, is to harness the power of AI to work with physicians.

Mark Chapman, director of health technology at NICE, said this would make his job easier.

“These AI technologies are safe to use and can detect fractures that humans might miss, given the pressure and demands of these professional groups to work,” he said.

Mr Chapman said AI tools could potentially speed up diagnosis and reduce the number of follow-up appointments required due to fractures missed during initial assessment.

NICE said it was “unlikely” that the technology would lead to an increase in misdiagnosis or unnecessary referrals to fracture clinics because radiologists would always review the X-ray images.

It said the process would be better than having a physician view the images themselves.

The potential for the use of artificial intelligence in health care is huge.

It is already being used to help detect early signs of breast cancer on scans, find out who is most at risk of having a heart attack and predict when the next epidemic will occur.

a consultation on draft good guidance The use of AI on this will end on November 5.