Microsoft researchers reported in Science on October 22 that an AI system that diagnoses cases step by step was more than twice as accurate as general physicians in solving more than 300 complex medical cases.

The system uses an orchestrator to decide which patient-history questions to ask, which exams and tests to order, and how to update diagnostic hypotheses.

That differs from typical medical AI systems, which analyze all available patient data at once.

The physicians in the comparison could use textbooks and the internet.

The AI system also outperformed physicians in emergency room scenarios, and the researchers said its diagnostic work-ups cost less.

Microsoft researchers next plan to test the tool’s ability to triage patients in emergency department waiting rooms with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

If the research moves toward clinical use, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued guidance for clinical decision support software.

The planned test also fits Microsoft’s healthcare efforts. In 2022, the company expanded its healthcare cloud strategy across data, AI, and clinician tools.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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