Radiologists at UBC, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) are leading an international study to better predict the presence of COVID-19 based on CT scans.
Radiologists, fellows, residents and UBC medical students are collecting, analyzing and labelling thousands of CT scans and in some cases chest X-rays, from COVID-19 patients around the globe, including Canada, the Middle East, South Korea, and Italy.
Information gleaned from the scans will form the basis for an open source artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict the presence, severity and complications of COVID-19 on CT scans. The model will integrate clinical data to help support and supplement existing tools to improve patient care. For example, it could help physicians determine whether individuals are best treated at home or whether they may require hospitalization/ventilation. It will not replace current testing.
“The model will also assist in detecting similarities and differences in variations of patterns across different cultural and ethnic groups, and help us understand early and late stages of patterns of disease,” says Dr. Kendall Ho, VGH emergency physician and Academic Director, UBC Cloud Innovation Centre.
Visit the Cloud Innovation Centre’s website for more information on the study. UBC’s participation in the project is an example of aligning our research with priority issues in British Columbia and beyond (Strategy 16: Public Relevance).