Artificial intelligence software is poised to drastically slash NHS cardiology waiting lists and give heart patients a faster diagnosis. The program can carry out complicated measurements in less than a minute that normally take doctors about 20 minutes. Patients with heart problems usually undergo MRI scans to determine how enlarged the chambers of the organ are – a sign that it is under strain – and whether they will need invasive surgery or can be treated with medication. The scan captures about ten different images of the heart, each from a slightly different angle, to create a full picture. Doctors then have to print out these scans and painstakingly measure the size of the chambers by physically drawing on them.

Artificial Intelligence could soon help doctors flag problematic breast screenings in just one visit, with new technology being tested at Northwestern University in coming months. According to Northwestern Medicine, the new AI technology will be tested on a group of approximately 2,000 patients, with the stated goal of finding irregularities and helping with treatment decisions and outcomes. Google unveiled the technology earlier this week as Northwestern Medicine launched the study. Northwestern Medicine's Dr. Sarah Friedewald, Chief of Breast Imaging, says the goal is to find problems faster and in fewer visits. "Their algorithm was able to detect more cancers than the radiologist," said Dr. Friedewald.