Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has introduced artificial intelligence software from Densitas, to evaluate the technical quality of mammograms.
The breast imaging service at the trust is believed to be the first in the UK to introduce the technology from the Canadian software company.
The tool has been customised for the service and will be used in screening and symptomatic breast services to provide mammographers with instant feedback and AI-generated positioning information when the image is taken. It means that any quality issues can be flagged at the patient’s appointment, aiming to then reduce recall rates to the department and enhance the accuracy of the image interpretation.
The Leeds and Wakefield Breast Screening Service provides screening facilities for over 150,000 women each year across several sites and mobile screening units.
Dr Nisha Sharma, Director of Breast Screening at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “Using AI will make a real difference to the quality of our breast screening programme and ultimately to the health outcomes of women in Leeds. Here at the Leeds Breast Screening unit we are delighted to collaborate with Densitas and build on this foundation for future developments that will improve breast care.”
Maggie Fletcher, Consultant Radiographer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, added: “The team have been very enthusiastic about the introduction of this technology and the difference it can make in terms of efficiency. We see thousands of patients every year for routine mammograms and hope that this will provide further reassurance of the quality of our service.”
In other health tech news at the trust, in October, HTN caught up with Guy Dickie, Associate Director of Digital at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to talk about a new data platform project, its Patient Administration System, Project ‘Paper Lite’ and a new approach to digital programmes.
