Hiqa asks for feedback on 'responsible and safe' use of AI in healthcare

AI could help with note-taking which would allow doctors or other healthcare workers to focus on patients rather than administration. File photo

Hiqa has called for submissions to a new public consultation on the use of AI in health and social care services.

AI could be used to help doctors make faster diagnosis by recognising patterns in scans or laboratory results. It could help with note-taking also among other uses. This would allow doctors or other healthcare workers to focus on patients rather than administration.

The consultation allows people time to read new draft guidelines on the “responsible and safe” use of AI in healthcare. An evidence review has also been published and both documents can now be read on the Hiqa website.

AI is already in use across hospitals and community services, and Hiqa said this is expected to grow significantly over time. It referred to its use in scanning or diagnostics as one example of positive change. 

However, Hiqa said there are also “potential risks” which is why human oversight is kept in place. Hiqa director of health information and standards, Rachel Flynn, said the AI situation is changing all the time.

“Innovative solutions are needed to meet the challenges in our health and social care system, and AI is a promising tool that can be integrated to help address some of these challenges,” she said.

These challenges include the growing population and the needs of an ageing population. However, the “responsible and safe” use of this technology is important.

She said the draft guidance includes “practical information relating to topics like governance, transparency and public engagement". It has been developed with people who use and deliver healthcare.

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One key issue is to make sure any data used is high quality and is a broad representation of the population. “We would encourage all interested parties to please provide their feedback by participating in our public consultation,” Ms Flynn said.

The Hiqa public consultation is open from Thursday until March 5 this year. It can be accessed from the Hiqa website. 

AI is already being used for some HR processes, in financial areas. The BowelScreen programme uses AI to improve the speed and accuracy of processing test results. 

University Hospital Galway has introduced Ruadhán the Robot to its systems. This is a software robot to assist with patient referrals, reducing wait times and speeding up appointments.