Faster diagnosis for fracture detection thanks to artificial intelligence

PARIS, September 12, 2024 -- The emergency physicians and radiologists at AZ Sint-Blasius have been using an artificial intelligence (AI) application since the beginning of this year that allows them to make faster diagnoses based on X-Ray images.

The AI application is a product of AZmed, the European leader in AI applications for medical imaging. The application was designed to quickly and accurately detect fractures, dislocations and swelling in joints on X-ray images. The instrument is CE-certified as a medical device in Europe and Food & Drugs Administration-cleared in the US.

This year, the AI application was extensively tested for 6 months at AZ Sint-Blasius and positively evaluated. The deployment of artificial intelligence has proven especially useful in the emergency department, for quick and accurate diagnosis of trauma patients.

“The AI tool helps our emergency physicians quickly diagnose the nature and location of fractures, dislocations and swellings, even in complex and very urgent trauma cases,” said Dr. Hugo Declercq, chief of service in the medical imaging department.

“The AI application also allows emergency physicians and radiologists to detect very small bone injuries. In addition, the tool helps radiologists in their daily practice to work more efficiently.”

“The medical imaging department at AZ Sint-Blasius has always been committed to innovation. We continuously invest in the most advanced imaging devices. Our choice to now also bet on artificial intelligence is in line with our ambition as a medium-sized hospital to provide outstanding care to the population.”

“Our partnership with AZ Sint-Blasius reflects a common goal to implement innovation and improve the quality of care,” said Julien Vidal, CEO of AZmed. “We support the hospital's values of excellence and patient-centered care by providing their medical team with accelerated diagnostics, even for complex cases.”

In the future, the medical imaging service will continue to invest in new AI applications, to the extent that they are validated and add value to practice operations. Given the rapid technological evolutions, these new applications can be expected very soon.

Read the press release in Dutch: Snellere diagnose dankzij artificiële intelligentie