The buzz about artificial intelligence in gastroenterology has yet to settle. Here's a pulse check on where AI stands in the GI industry today.
A study published in Gastroenterology showed that using artificial intelligence during colonoscopies may help decrease adenoma miss rates. In the study, AI-assisted colonoscopies saw an adenoma miss rate of 15.5 percent, compared to 32.4 percent with the standard colonoscopy.
AI is not only helpful when it comes to detection, but according to a study published in The Lancet Digital Health, using the technology during colonoscopy screenings could save the country $290 million annually.
"The whole purpose of screening colonoscopy is that if we can pick up things earlier and prevent colorectal cancer potentially, we can reduce a lot of downstream costs that are related to colon cancer," Austin Chiang, MD, chief medical officer of gastrointestinal at Medtronic told Becker's April 29. So if we can prevent patients from undergoing big complex surgeries or really costly treatments, then that'll save the healthcare system a lot of money down the road."
The use of AI-assisted colonoscopies and endoscopies isn't a lofty idea. Some healthcare facilities have already begun to implement the technologies.
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif., is the state's first hospital to perform a procedure using GI Genius, Medtronic's AI endoscopy module.
In Georgia, Augusta (Ga.) University Health is the first in the state to offer artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy.
As the industry continues to welcome AI with open arms, medtech companies are taking advantage of GI's next big thing.
"In the [artificial intelligence] space, there are multiple groups all working on the same thing. I think everybody wants to develop detection technology. Really every endoscope company in the world is trying to develop similar technologies," Michael Wallace, MD, chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Mayo Clinic/Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi, told Becker's.