The number of patients who miss a doctor's appointment has been reduced by almost a third in an artificial intelligence (AI) study that could save the fortunes of the cash-strapped NHS.
No-shows are responsible for over a million missed GP appointments each month – equivalent to one in 20 scheduled consultations.
This increases pressure on a healthcare system already creaking under the demands of an aging population.
Now a Leeds-based software company has developed an AI tool that predicts which patients are most likely to miss their appointments.
AI win: TPP has developed a tool that reduces the number of patients who do not show up for visits to their primary care doctor
TPP uses machine learning models to analyze patient behavior patterns based on a number of factors.
Its algorithms analyze demographic details, including age, gender and appointment booking history.
Dr Chris Bates, TPP's director of research and analysis, told the Mail on Sunday that younger adult men from lower socio-economic backgrounds in urban areas were most likely to miss GP appointments.
He said patients living closest to GP practices were more likely to drop out of consultations than those living further away, although it was unclear why this was the case.
Armed with information about the types of patients most likely to miss their appointments, family practices can take steps to encourage them to show up, such as sending additional text notifications just before their appointment or calling them.
The idea is not to deprive patients of the opportunity to see a doctor based on the AI profile, but instead to encourage them to visit by giving them additional reminders.
“Too much hype around artificial intelligence in healthcare and too little ability to provide it – we are changing that,” he said.
“This is a great example of what machine learning will bring to healthcare, helping to solve real-world problems for frontline teams and patients,” added Dr. Bates.
Missed appointments cost the NHS £216 million a year – according to its own figures, enough to pay 2,325 full-time doctors.
The scale of the crisis prompted former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consider fining patients £10 for each missed consultation, but the idea was quietly dropped.
Successful trials of this technology are currently being carried out across the country in Norfolk.
“Since we started using the report, we have seen the DNA (non-participation) rate drop by 30 per cent, which equates to hundreds of visits since the pilot began,” said Karen Bell, head of surgery at the Trinity and Bowthorpe practice, which has more than 11,000 patients.
She added that patients flagged as red or amber at risk of no-show are sent a text message the night before their appointment.
TPP uses artificial intelligence to help oncologists detect ovarian and other cancers in patients much earlier than was previously possible.
“The DNA algorithm is just the beginning – we will soon launch a suite of AI solutions focusing on key NHS clinical and operational priorities,” added Dr Bates.
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