Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has visited Antrim Area Hospital to examine the impact of the 'Boneview' project, a major initiative leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance diagnostics for bone fractures within Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust Emergency Departments (EDs) and Minor Injury Units.

The 'Boneview' project, led by the Business Services Organisation (BSO)'s NIPACS+ programme, utilises an AI-enhanced algorithm that supports clinicians in reading X-rays. The technology is already helping to identify acute fractures, effusions, and dislocations in patients aged two and over, with the goal of reducing patient waiting times by minimizing reading errors and increasing efficiency.

Minister Nesbitt expressed excitement about the project's potential, noting that the technology is already making a difference, with missed fracture rates decreasing significantly. "This technology is already making a difference to how efficiently and effectively our Emergency Departments and Minor Injury Unit clinicians can treat patients," said Minister Nesbitt. "The project is delivering real-time benefits to patients."

The Northern HSC Trust was the first to implement the new technology earlier this year. Boneview has since been rolled out across four of the five geographic HSC Trusts, with plans for the fifth soon. Once fully implemented, it will mark the first region-wide NIPACS+ Imaging AI deployment in Northern Ireland.

Dr. Mark Jenkins, Deputy Medical Director and ED Consultant at the Northern Trust, clarified the role of AI, stating it is an assistive tool, not a replacement for human clinicians.

The Regional Medical Imaging Board (RMIB) AI subgroup is now exploring opportunities to expand AI usage in other imaging areas, such as using AI within Radiology for chest X-ray review and Digital Pathology whole slide imaging to assist in earlier detection of diseases and cancers.