The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) aims to eradicate the disease hepatitis C by using artificial intelligence (AI) screening. For this, the British health insurance fund uses ‘Patient Search Identification (PSI) software’, which was developed free of charge by the pharmaceutical company MSD. The trial, which starts next month, could help up to 80,000 people who have this condition undetected receive life-saving diagnosis and treatment more quickly, it said. a press release from the NHS.
The NHS uses artificial intelligence to search health records for a number of key risk factors, such as blood transfusions or conditions such as HIV. Anyone identified through the new screening process will be invited for a GP check-up and, if necessary, further hepatitis C screening. The trial will run until spring 2023.
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exterminate
According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 81,000 people in the UK are currently suffering from the blood-borne virus, which infects the liver and, if left untreated, can cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage. The condition can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer. There is also a risk of further spread of the disease.
The NHS has an ambitious plan to eradicate chronic hepatitis C by the 2030 global target set by the World Health Organization (WHO). To boost screening, staff now also visit at-risk communities with specially equipped trucks to test for the virus and perform liver checks.
Due to the expansion of the number of tests, an additional 65,000 people have received treatment. As a result, the number of deaths from hepatitis C has been reduced by more than a third. The number of liver transplants needed for patients with hepatitis C has been reduced by more than half.
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