With limited knowledge of COVID-19 worldwide, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is using its artificial intelligence resources to improve understanding of the virus. This information will be used as it becomes available to frontline clinicians to help diagnose and treat COVID-19.
The team at the Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD) develops artificial intelligence solutions in the NHS.
They are now developing algorithms that will analyse all available datasets on COVID-19 within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, working with iCAIRD industrial partners Bering Research Limited and Canon Medical Research Europe.
This includes clinical information that is already collected like virology tests, diagnostic tests and chest x-rays and patient data such as health records, GP referral letters, discharge notes when available.
The data will then be made available to NHS staff treating people with COVID-19 on the frontline to assist their decision making.
Dr Jennifer Armstrong, Medical Director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, welcomed the move and said: “We are mobilising all of our resources in order to respond as best we can to COVID-19. This initiative shows real teamwork across our organisation as we link together real-time research to the frontline.
“I want to thank all of our staff for their efforts in an incredibly challenging time.”
Julie Brittenden, Director of Research and Development, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We are using artificial intelligence at scale to look at all of our available data on COVID-19. The power in our approach is that the data will become more and more accurate as time goes on as we identify patterns and trends about COVID-19.
“Our research, development and innovation teams continue to work tirelessly on clinical trials related to diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.”
Dr. Ignat Drozdov, Managing Director of Bering Limited said: “Since the beginning of March, we’ve been working with doctors on the frontline to develop new defences against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our experience in interpreting medical images has allowed us to rapidly adapt our tools to help spot the signs of this disease.”
Alongside collecting data on diagnosis and care, the research also aims to predict hospital admissions, days spent in hospital and resources required for each patient.
Work at iCAIRD and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is underway to analyse available data with the aim of information getting to frontline staff in the coming months.
iCAIRD is primarily funded by Innovate UK.
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