RANZCR: The College Unveils Standards of Practice for Artificial Intelligence

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) Inside News September 2020

The College continues to be a world leader in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, becoming the first professional peak body in the world to launch AI Standards of Practice. The standards align with the existing Standards of Practice for Clinical Radiology and are guided by the College’s Ethical Principles for AI in Medicine.

Clinical radiology and radiation oncology have always been early adopters of new technology and AI is no exception. Application of the professional standards will maximise the opportunities AI presents, allowing for a more efficient and accessible healthcare system that delivers improved outcomes for patients.

The standards are intended to mitigate clinical risks and ensure best clinical care when using AI in radiology. They set out what is expected across a series of domains and what specific evidence would need to be shown to demonstrate compliance. The standards cover key components to the application of AI and machine learning (ML) including:

• Algorithm development

• Information management

• Algorithm deployment

• Professional standards

• Audit and governance.

The scope of the AI standards is to guide the development, deployment and monitoring of artificial intelligence and machine learning in public and private radiology settings. They also serve to guide governance bodies and others involved in areas where decisions are made external to a practice or hospital department that have the potential to impact on patient care in radiology.

The development of the standards was led by the College’s AI Committee with extensive consultation with a broad range of industry, academic, commercial, government stakeholders and other medical colleges.

The launch of these landmark standards follows the release of the Ethical Principles for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine last year. The ethical principles outline the most appropriate use of AI and ML, including how both can successfully help drive even better patient care.

The nine ethical principles were developed specifically to guide the:

• development of standards of practice for research in AI tools

• regulation of market access for ML and AI

• development of standards of practice for deployment of AI tools in medicine

• upskilling of medical practitioners in ML and AI, and

• ethical use of ML and AI in medicine.

AI presents many opportunities for a more efficient and accessible healthcare system. While it may be some time until the technology is clinically appropriate and safe for patients, it is important for the College to continue positioning itself as a leading player in the application of AI in health care. It will also allow the College to further its advocacy efforts in the digital health sphere.

Over the past decade, Australia has invested significant funds into attempting to harness and facilitate the adoption of digital health care. Digital health provides numerous opportunities for providing better informed and quality care and improving access, particularly for those in regional and remote areas.

Through our advocacy, the College aims to ensure that patients and doctors have access to all relevant healthcare information, to enhance patient safety and reduce duplication of imaging, waste and costs. Digital health strives to connect healthcare providers and clinicians across all environments to deliver a seamless experience and quality care for patients.

“The standards are intended to mitigate clinical risks and ensure best clinical care when using AI in radiology. They set out what is expected across a series of domains and what specific evidence would need to be shown to demonstrate compliance.”

As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, it is vital that the digital health solution is properly considered and implemented effectively.

The College has a clear vision for how Australia can harness the benefits of digital technologies and improve the quality of care for patients who need radiology services. The College’s focus in digital health centres around five key priorities:

• the establishment of an eReferral system

• access to historic images

• standardised terminology

• development of imaging guidelines, and

• the managed roll out of artificial intelligence (AI).

The College continues to be a thought leader in digital health and AI in healthcare settings, and is committed to equipping the membership to be at the forefront of the next frontier in medicine. Work continues on profession-led implementation and workforce transition to support the effective implementation of AI in clinical practice.

We must continue to be pioneers in this space and work with stakeholders to help them recognise the potential and risk of AI and the integral role it could play as digital health and interoperability projects progress.

If you have further questions about artificial intelligence or digital health in clinical radiology please contact Melissa Doyle, Executive Officer at the College at melissa.doyle@ranzcr.edu.au