With this support, the examination can be shorter, thus making it possible to probe more patients. It also implies, according to Dr. Alain Monnier, less fatigue for the practitioner. Because the “human” detection of polyps is variable depending on the equipment, fatigue, experience agrees Dr. Serge Fratté, who presented this new equipment, in service since the fall of 2022. And that “determines the effectiveness of colonoscopy”, he admits. Not identifying all the polyps means mechanically not allowing them to be removed to prevent the transformation of this lesion into cancer. So increasing their detection is a real plus. Scientific studies estimate a 50% reduction in polyps not found during a colonoscopy using artificial intelligence. “There is an overall benefit”, salute Dr. Serge Fratté. For the patient. And for the practitioner.
Having this technology in northern Franche-Comté is a real opportunity for patients, underlines the president of the Montbéliard committee of the league against cancer. “It allows you to reduce the kilometers [pour avoir accès à cette technique] », he also insists. “When you can get help, you shouldn’t miss it”, insists Pascal Mathis, general manager of the hospital, aware, moreover, of the tensions that exist on the workforce in the hospital sector (read our article). He also does not forget to recall that the use of artificial intelligence implies having all the security locks, in particular on the confidentiality of personal health data. And that above all, these tools “take nothing away from human intelligence, which we need”.
3,000 colonoscopies are performed each year at the Nord Franche-Comté hospital. And 1,800 of them involve the detection of one or more polyps. The use of this artificial intelligence tool will increase the detection of polyps by 60%, making it possible to detect potential cancers even earlier.
