2023-10-28 14:51:39
Researchers of the Conicet y sleep developed the first virtual assistant in WhatsApp of the country specialized in the use of artificial intelligence for the recognition of symptoms of cerebrovascular accident (ACV), a condition that is one of the “leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide.”
“Our development is one of the few initiatives in the world that is working on this particular pathology, which is very important in public health,” he explained to Telam the neurologist Mauricio Farez, responsible for the project and director of the Center for Research on Neuroimmunological Diseases (CIEN) that operates in Fleni.
The work is promoted by different centers of the Fleni Foundation in association with Conicet and the national company Entelai, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for medical care.
“This assistant was almost five years of work developing algorithms using artificial intelligence to train it to better recognize symptoms,” recalled Farez, a researcher at Conicet and a master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard University.
The objective is to offer the virtual assistant on WhatsApp 24 hours a day as a free service to the community to reduce service time and contribute to saving lives.
With a functioning similar to Tina, the virtual assistant of the national State, or Boti, the chatbot of the city of Buenos Aires, the Conicet and Fleni researchers seek to finish validating a “hyper-specialized” assistant for the recognition of stroke symptoms , through the exchange of text messages.
“A patient with symptoms and concerns can consult an AI at home with training equivalent to a specialized neurologist, and get quick advice and appropriate referral,” Farez said.
How does it work
Regarding operation, the doctor explained that the assistant asks questions through the chat until a resolution is reached, in which he can indicate that the patient urgently go to the emergency room if the symptoms correspond to a stroke.
The system is also prepared to refer to a teleconsultation with a doctor, in case there is any doubt in the diagnosis.
Due to its level of innovation, the tool was one of the initiatives selected in August by the Sadosky Foundation and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation within the framework of the second call “Innovative Solutions for Software Challenges” that finances projects that articulate the work of the private sector and the scientific-technological system to respond to specific needs.
After the approval of ISO standards and presentations to the National Administration of Medicines, Foods and Medical Technology (Anmat), the system is currently at a “level of maturity sufficient to begin using it in an experimental context, but already in life real,” said Farez.
The tests will begin in November in Fleni, while by the end of next year they hope to have the first results of the study and to have already implemented the assistant in clinical practice.
“We already have the preliminary results and they gave a degree of agreement above 99%, the truth is that it is very good and now we want to be more specific for a pathology with a very high impact on people,” said the researcher.
What is stroke
Stroke is an acute disease that occurs when an artery in the brain blocks or ruptures and can be fatal or leave a person with a disability.
According to studies carried out by Fleni, around 50,000 cases of stroke occur per year, constituting the fourth cause of death in Argentina.
Additionally, it is estimated that regarding a third of people who survive a stroke experience some form of long-term disability, such as difficulties moving or speaking.
The symptoms that appear can be different and subtle, such as weakness or a feeling of falling asleep on one side of the face, arm or leg, especially on the same side; confusion when speaking or listening; difficulties walking; dizziness; loss of balance or lack of body coordination (for example, wanting to grab something but not being able to); and very strong and sudden headache, according to the Ministry of Health.
In the event of any of these symptoms, the Argentine Federation of Cardiology (FAC) recommends knowing the acronym R.A.P.I.D.O. which marks a brief check so that people can act.
The “R” refers to the fallen face; “A” to alteration in balance; “P” to loss of arm and/or leg strength; the “I” to sudden visual impairment; “D” for difficulty speaking; and the “O” to obtain medical assistance.
It was also indicated that 80% of strokes are preventable because risk factors can be addressed, such as smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol intake or high blood pressure.
In this sense, a balanced diet and physical activity are the basis of prevention, as reported by the FAC on the occasion of World Stroke Day, which is commemorated this Sunday.
Another data that emerges from Fleni’s studies is that more than 20% of cases are misdiagnosed and that there is a significant delay until medical consultation.
Against this background, the importance of the new virtual assistant lies in the fact that every second is vital to help someone who suffers a stroke because during this episode almost 2 million neurons die per minute.
For Farez, the time gap between when the patient begins with the first symptoms until he arrives at the hospital is key, which is why he considers that “virtual assistants, well trained, can be very useful in guiding the patient, helping him to better recognize their symptoms and go to the emergency room.”
Regarding the high rate of misdiagnosed cases, the doctor maintained that two factors play a role: on the one hand, the lack of awareness among the population, who are usually unaware of the symptoms, while also “there is a lack of training and professionalization of the health care systems.” emergency”.
And he concluded: “We have many expectations with artificial intelligence and this type of virtual assistants that can be one more grain of sand towards improving the recognition of symptoms and the rapid treatment of stroke.”
With information from Télam.
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