(Montreal) Using artificial intelligence to reduce waiting times in hospital emergency rooms, as the Center hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) wants to do, can be a good idea, but on condition of proceed with caution, experts say.
The CHUM is currently testing an artificial intelligence algorithm designed to help administrators predict the number of staff needed for an emergency room and speed up the admission of certain patients.
The DD Élyse Berger-Pelletier, a consultant emergency physician who participates in the project, recalls that a patient waits an average of 18 hours between the time of their admission by a doctor and their transfer to another unit.
Abhishek Gupta, founder of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, says algorithms can be helpful in reducing waiting. He warns hospitals against the temptation to perpetuate biases.
The DD Berger-Pelletier says the threat of bias is one of his main concerns. However, since the system would be used as a management tool, not a plan of care, it could harm patients less.
According to her, this system, which is being implemented by a research team from the hospital, should be operational within a year.