Diagnostic imaging provider RadNet is championing artificial intelligence as its means of conducting MRIs, a tool Dr. Suzie Bash said is “revolutionizing medical
imaging.”
Bash, the medical director of neuroradiology at San Fernando Valley Interventional Radiology & Imaging Center in Encino, lauded the multiple artificial intelligence (AI) tools used at RadNet for their help in making care more efficient and thorough.
“For example, AI in deep learning reconstruction enables us to scan our patients 50 to 75 percent faster, which means that we can scan more patients per day,” Bash said.
The efficiency of the scans brings a twofold benefit, according to Bash. On one hand, wait times are reduced. On the other hand, speedy scans help patients that develop severe anxiety while being scanned, which Bash said affects 30 percent of patients.
“We found that these fast MRIs are the number one factor impacting patient satisfaction,” she said. “So, it makes a tremendous difference in how patients rate their imaging experience.”
The return on investment for RadNet is greatest at centers that have higher patient volume because of the lower wait times brought on by AI imaging. “Overall, the boost in revenue is approximately three to five times over what was paid to enable the AI software access,” Bash said.
Bash added that the monetary value of the AI is not her company’s focus when utilizing the tools. In addition to bringing efficiency to the table, the AI tools provide higher quality images for radiologists to read.
“When you have that improved image quality, that increases the likelihood that we as radiologists are going to catch (problems) earlier, which can really impact mortality and morbidity and help save lives. It’s a very important technology,”
Bash said.
Bash predicts that AI in deep learning reconstruction will eventually be utilized at a global scale due to increasing acceptance of AI in health care and higher amounts of data that can be used by the software.