Strategic Radiology

The first in a series of three presentations from Ferrum Health on the use of AI to impact population health, "AI in Oncology" provided Strategic Radiology members a provocative vision of a powerful new role for radiology in the health care enterprise from Elie Balesh, MD, private practice diagnostic and interventional radiologist and medical director of Ferrum Health. "Most health systems and radiology groups in the US have at least considered using AI, but very few, probably less than 5 or 10%, have actually implemented any kind of nuts-and-bolts meaningful AI program," noted Balesh. "While the appetite to test drive AI, potentially even pay for AI, exists across a large majority of these players, very few have put together the business plans, financial models, or earmarked budgets to actually implement AI technology and capitalize on its value." More than 1,200 companies are knocking on health system doors, reaching out to leadership and other stakeholders, trying get their discrete, short-term solutions purchased, installed, and deployed. "Very few AI vendors provide end-to-end, soup-to-nuts comprehensive clinical and operational workflow solutions, which is what is needed at the enterprise healthcare level," he explained.