Answer Digital, a digital services company, has partnered with Lunit and AZmed, two of the leading creators of CE-marked clinical AI applications to bring AI to NHS trusts across the UK.
The presence of the CE logo on commercial products indicates that the manufacturer or importer affirms the goods' conformity with European health, safety, and environmental protection standards. It is not a quality indicator or a certification mark.
Answer Digital’s open approach enables healthcare providers to access AI models covering clinical pathways including cardiac analysis and fractures, without being locked into a single vendor.
It only requires trusts to complete a single installation of its deployment technology to make multiple AI models available, quickly and safely.
The technology also enables healthcare trusts to evaluate and implement tried and tested clinical AI models from leading model vendors and integrate them directly into clinical workflows in days.
Lunit and AZmed are the latest model developers to integrate with Answer Digital’s technology.
This lays the foundations for AI adoption to accelerate
Lunit recently showcased its robust performance in detecting lung nodules in an independent head-to-head evaluation with global model developers.
Michael Measures, Director of Technology at Answer Digital, said: “Following traditional approaches to deploying new technology in the NHS, such as creating point-to-point integrations, can take a lot of time when evaluating and implementing AI, resulting in innovation bottlenecks.
"This is arguably the case we are seeing at the moment with proprietary AI add-ons being created by existing PACS and RIS providers in response to the AI Diagnostic Fund.
"Similarly, the challenge applies to creating individual peer-to-peer integrations with each new model that is deployed. This is not sustainable due to the many clinical, operational and information governance considerations required for each deployment.”
By having these clinical AI models available in one place, the NHS can accelerate its adoption of AI and address key operational issues, such as the capacity challenges in radiology services.
The methodology can be applied to any AI deployment
Beomseok Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit, said: “We’ve been able to move from theoretical applications of AI in the NHS to the practical."
"Working with Answer has made the process simple and accessible, with minimal disruption to workflows," Suh explained. "They understand that trusts and imaging networks need results now, and they consistently deliver as an integration partner.”
Julien Vidal Co-Founder and CEO at AZmed said: “Taking an open-platform deployment approach has enabled us to overcome the usual governance issues that come with NHS technology adoption."
"There are a number of AI deployment approaches available in the UK, but we would choose Answer’s methodology every time," Vidal added. "Our own integration took one day, and the team’s technical know-how is second to none. The methodology can be applied to any AI deployment."
Vidal added that this lays the foundations for AI adoption to accelerate, and makes it possible to scale the deployment of clinical AI to new pathways and specialties.
Providing solid foundations for scaling the deployment of AI for clinical use
The deployment technology and methodology were first developed by Answer Digital as part of the Medical Open Network for AI (MONAI) community.
Further, the deployment technology and methodology formed the foundation for the AI Centre for Value-Based Care’s “AIDE” platform.
This was commissioned to deploy clinical AI solutions by eight trusts across London, including Kings College NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.