Accelerating ethical AI integration in public healthcare
Australia faces a chronic shortage of radiologists, resulting in longer wait times, delayed diagnoses, and increasing health risks. This project aims to explore how AI -powered diagnostic systems can address these issues by enhancing speed, accuracy, and efficiency in radiology services.
In a ground-breaking advancement for Australian public healthcare, a collaborative research team from Griffith University and the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service has secured funding to implement and evaluate Artificial Intelligence in radiology. The National Health and Medical Research Council has awarded $999,023 over two years to support this pioneering project, marking the first Australian trial of AI integration into radiology within a public sector hospital.
In partnership with:
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to advancing knowledge, innovation, and practices that promote holistic health and well-being in addition fostering innovation and contributing to the development of sustainable industries and infrastructure as vital drivers of economic growth.
Tackling workforce gaps
Leading the project is Professor Paula Brough, Director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing. She highlights the project’s direct response to the chronic shortage of radiologists in Australia, which has resulted in extended waiting times, delayed diagnoses, and increased risks of disease progression.
“The acute shortage of radiologists within the Queensland public health system has produced an urgent need for a refinement to their role, to increase the speed and accuracy of their diagnoses. The use of AI to assist with the diagnoses of medical images has proven to be viable and highly advantageous, both internationally and in the Australian private health sector.”
Objectives
The research will evaluate the sustainable implementation of AI in radiology through five integrated studies, focusing on:
- Workforce wellbeing
- Productivity
- Economic efficiency
- Clinical effectiveness
- Feasibility of broader adoption in public healthcare
Purpose
This project is regarded as a ‘test case’ by both Queensland Health and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), with the potential to inform future AI policy and integration across public hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.
The use of AI to assist with the diagnosis of medical images has proven to be viable and highly advantageous, both internationally and in the Australian private health sector.
Outcomes
By closely tracking workflow changes, stakeholder perceptions, and the ethical implications of AI integration, the project will provide vital insights into how AI can be responsibly and effectively adopted in public hospitals. The findings will not only shape the future of radiology in Queensland but could also serve as a model for AI implementation in public healthcare settings nationwide.
Project associate
Contact details
- Address
- Room 1.17, Business 3 Building (N63)
- Griffith University
- 170 Kessels Road
- Nathan QLD 4111
- Office hours
- 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
- Monday – Friday