Northumbria Healthcare’s responsible AI approach: an Azure Machine Learning case study

Who: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust & Azure Machine Learning

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a leading healthcare provider in northeast England, has partnered with Azure Machine Learning to enhance its surgical decision-making process. Spearheading this initiative are surgeons Professor Mike Reed and Dr. Justin Green, who aim to apply data science and machine learning to develop individualized patient risk profiles. Their innovative approach facilitates more informed surgical decisions and efficient candidate allocation, while working towards mitigating surgery backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What: Personalized patient risk profiles through machine learning

Using Azure Machine Learning and the Responsible AI dashboard, the team at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is harnessing historical surgical outcome data to create personalized risk profiles. These profiles aim to provide patients with a clearer understanding of the potential outcomes and risks associated with their surgery.

Before: The challenge of surgical decision making and allocation

Before this initiative, surgical decisions were primarily based on a surgeon’s experience and general statistical data, leaving room for potential error and imprecision. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the pressure on healthcare facilities, causing surgery backlogs and making efficient patient allocation more critical than ever.

The process: Data science and Azure Machine Learning

The team leverages Azure Machine Learning to analyze historical surgical data, using algorithms to predict potential risks and outcomes for individual patients. The Responsible AI dashboard is also utilized to ensure these predictions are fair, understandable, and transparent.

After: An improved surgical landscape

With the use of Azure Machine Learning, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has witnessed a significant improvement in their surgical decision-making process. Patients are better informed, surgical allocation is more efficient, and there’s a progressive reduction in surgery backlogs.

Conclusion: An innovative approach for a significant impact

Through this partnership with Azure Machine Learning, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made a significant stride in harnessing the power of AI for healthcare. Their work serves as an inspiring example for other healthcare institutions seeking to improve their services and patient care with technology.