AI support tool aims to change skin cancer treatment in the NHS
pharmafile | February 10, 2022 | News story | Business Services |
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has announced the expansion of its partnership with Skin Analytics, with the roll out of a unique AI decision support tool which aims to change the way skin cancer is assessed and treated by the NHS.
The real-world pilot of the AI decision support tool DERM, will work to make the most efficient use of clinician time and NHS resources.
The Trust’s partnership with Skin Analytics is part of the CW Innovation programme, a joint initiative between the Trust and CW+, which identifies, tests and evaluates new solutions that improve patient care, patient experience and the way the Trust’s hospitals are run.
Dr Lucy Thomas, Consultant Dermatologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, explains how the partnership with Skin Analytics aims to improve patient experience, outcomes and operational efficiency: “Like many departments, dermatology has severe backlogs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this project will evaluate the impact this AI solution can have on relieving pressure on services, reducing delays in detection and treatment and improving outcomes for patients with skin cancer as well as those with non-urgent skin diseases.”
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, with rates continuing to increase, and the incidence of malignant melanoma in Britain rising faster than any other cancer. The roll out of DERM, which analyses specialist magnified images of skin lesions using AI algorithms, aims to increase how quickly patients with potentially cancerous skin lesions are assessed so they can receive life-saving treatment sooner.
Bruno Botelho, Director of Digital Operations, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Trust has always supported innovation and digital solutions to improve the delivery of care in the population we serve, and we are very much looking forward to evaluating the innovative DERM device, assessing its impact on patient care and experience as well as our workforce”.
Ana Ovey
