Hospitals to use AI to cut patient visits

Patients can use an app to keep track of their COPD symptoms

An NHS trust hopes to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve a scheme that helps patients across Hull and East Yorkshire with chronic respiratory illness.

The Lenus chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) support system sees patients use an app to keep track of their symptoms.

The Humber Health Partnership said there had been a 40% reduction in the number of patients needing to go back to hospital for treatment since the system was launched in March 2023.

It hopes to reduce the figure even further - possibly by as much as 90% - by using AI technology to analyse the data from the app.

The app encourages patients to regularly answer questions about their well-being so data can be gathered.

It also allows them to message their NHS clinic directly.

Professor Mike Crooks, who runs the service, said: "This prompts them to make contact to initiate treatment early, so that we can give them the care they need to get them back on the right path before the point they need to come into hospital."

AI will be used to analyse the data and help medical professionals identify trends and triggers that can result in COPD needing care, Professor Crooks said.

This will allow the clinic to put interventions in place to support patients before they reach the point of needing hospital care.

Ruth was diagnosed with COPD at the age of 14 and has been using the Lenus app as part of her treatment.

Before using the app, she was visiting the hospital three or four times a year.

"Now those visits have been cut down to virtually zero," she said.

"If I need to reach out to a clinician, I know that the app's there and I can do that."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.