When the ER gets slammed, AI triage tools are designed to help flag patients who need critical care and might otherwise be missed, flagging the most serious cases and prioritizing them for care. The first major clinical application of AI triage tools has been in radiology; companies including RapidAI, Viz.ai, and Arterys all have FDA approval for algorithms that detect signs of strokes, brain bleeds, and pulmonary embolisms from CT scans. Imagen's FDA-approved OsteoDetect analyzes wrist X-rays to detect distal radius fractures, one of the most common injuries to the joint. Mednition's real-time triage-guidance tool, KATE, analyzes EHR data and patient vitals collected at intake to help emergency nurses spot warning signs of sepsis, which accounts for more than 50% of hospital deaths. It is being used throughout the Adventist Health system and others to head off ER admissions through earlier treatment.

RapidAI's newly cleared artificial intelligence tool automatically analyzes CT pulmonary angiograms to detect signs of pulmonary embolism, …

Healthcare systems have adopted artificial intelligence in fits and starts. For years, emergency rooms have haltingly tested AI systems that collect information on patients' symptoms and medical histories, weigh it against data about similar cases, and make recommendations about who should be rushed in for treatment first. Doctors see the potential, but are wary of algorithms that don't have years of medical training. But the risk of Covid-19 transmission in ERs, along with shortages of staff and resources, have left some hospitals with no choice. The pandemic has dramatically accelerated the use of AI triage.