AI is ready to take on medical imaging

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By Danielle Johns

What is artificial intelligence, Alex?

When IBM’s Watson won Jeopardy! back in 2011, people began to take notice of the power of artificial intelligence, or as it’s colloquially known, AI.

Over the last decade, AI has come a long way from answering questions on a TV game show.

Finding practical uses for the technology in healthcare has long been a focus for AI vendors.  Healthcare is an incredibly data-rich industry, so it seems like it would be well-suited for AI. But given the complexities of healthcare and the fact that patient care is on the line, AI has not yet found broad adoption across the industry.

However, one area of healthcare has proven to be a leader in adopting AI technology: medical imaging.

The AI medical imaging market explodes 

For AI vendors in the healthcare space, medical imaging is the segment to be in.

Signify Research projects the world market for medical imaging AI applications will reach almost $1.2 billion by 2025. Funding for medical AI companies has reached nearly $3.5 billion.

However, that also means increased competition if you’re looking to bring your AI technology to market. Healthcare commercial intelligence can help you stand out from the crowd.

Finding the healthcare providers who would benefit from medical imaging AI technology

Medical claims data is an incredibly valuable asset for any medical imaging AI vendor to leverage. Both diagnosis and procedure codes can help you identify the right organizations and providers for your technology.

For example, if your AI technology is for mammography, exploring top CPT codes for mammography procedures could help you identify the healthcare facilities and providers performing the most volume of mammography procedures to target in your go-to-market efforts.

Understanding which PACS or radiology information system a healthcare facility has installed can also guide your sales and marketing strategy. If your technology is only compatible with select PACS vendors, you can target your outreach to the facilities with that particular system in place to identify new prospects.

Select designations, such as the Mammography Quality Standards Act Certification, also allow you to fine-tune your search on healthcare facilities.

Identifying targets is just one piece of the puzzle. Reaching them is the other. Coupling the market context with market contacts, such as executive or physician contact data, allows you to make the necessary connections to seal the deal.

How is artificial intelligence used in medical imaging?

Medical imaging data from X-rays, CAT scans and MRIs offer a rich source of information on patients, but that data can also be incredibly complex and hard to interpret. Medical imaging data can even pose a challenge for the most experienced clinical professional. That’s where AI can help.

AI can analyze large quantities of diagnostic medical images by combining knowledge from various data sources to flag issues to providers for further exploration.

The most common use cases for AI in medical imaging focus on screening for common cancers, detecting musculoskeletal injuries, aiding diagnoses for neurological diseases and identifying cardiovascular abnormalities.

What are the benefits of using AI in medical imaging?

One of the top benefits of using AI for providers and healthcare organizations is its ability to aid with the early detection and intervention of diseases.

Detecting severe medical conditions early can save patient lives, improve quality and reduce costs. In fact, treatment for cancer patients diagnosed early is two to four times less expensive than treating people diagnosed with more advanced stages.

Outside of the impact on patient care, AI technology can also allow providers to work more efficiently.

AI can reduce repetitive, time-consuming work to flag the most critical issues to providers. AI does not replace the provider but allows them to make informed diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

Learn more

Compared to other technology, AI is still in its infancy. However, as the technology becomes more sophisticated, its use cases will grow outside of medical imaging.

Definitive Healthcare will be standing by, ready to help new AI companies navigate the healthcare market.

Want to learn more about how our healthcare commercial intelligence can help you get your AI technology deployed at the right healthcare facilities? Start a free trial today.

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