SmartSearches from SmartLife Health can help speed up the diagnostic pathway for major health conditions

Using proven machine learning techniques to integrate primary care with the new diagnostic pathways plan

The announcement of the programme for quicker diagnosis of respiratory and heart conditions through the new NHS plans for fast-tracked tests and checks has raised some concerns about the additional workload for GPs.

Manually searching for suitable patients to refer for diagnostics is very time-consuming and in reality, primary care is already struggling to deal with what is in front of them right now.

But preventative and proactive care can save lives.

SmartSearches from SmartLife Health provides an answer.

Machine Learning methods can help cut the amount of time GPs spend identifying at-risk patients. Previous research in asthma, funded by The Health Foundation demonstrated the real opportunities which it could bring to primary care and improve patient outcomes through earlier identification of long-term conditions and appropriate treatment pathways.

If it were scaled across the country, asthma alone could lead to:

• 512,000 extra diagnoses (and patients consequently receiving the appropriate care),

• 55,000 fewer GP hours are required to generate those outcomes than if they conducted the research manually, and

• £5.4 million cost savings.

It might take a GP almost five hours to review several hundred patient records to identify those who may have asthma whereas the AI system can do it in minutes.

The NHS England plans already include asthma - we've got that covered.

Imagine the opportunities if it were used for COPD, CVD and Heart Failure.

The project was recognised by the British Computer Society which awarded us the John Perry Prize.