Dong Nai’s Health Sector Gradually Applies Artificial Intelligence in Medical Examination and Treatment

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being utilized in various fields, including healthcare. The use of AI in medical examination and treatment is expected to bring numerous benefits to medical facilities, doctors, and patients alike. ​

AI Application in Medical Imaging
AI is currently being tested in several major hospitals such as the 108 Military Central Hospital, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, and Vinmec International General Hospital. Initial evaluations show that AI ensures high accuracy and provides significant support to doctors in medical imaging for disease diagnosis.

Mr. Pham Van Su, Deputy Director of Technical Affairs at Viet My Company (one of the companies providing AI solutions for Dong Nai's Department of Health), stated that AI has been developed to diagnose lung diseases through chest X-rays, breast cancer through mammograms, and detect abnormalities in CT/MRI brain scans and spinal X-rays. The application of AI in medical imaging means that abnormalities will be detected earlier, potentially saving more patients' lives. 

Medical staff operate the MRI room at Dong Nai General Hospital. 

According to Mr. Le Quang Trung, Director of the Department of Health, the skill levels of doctors across the country, including those in Dong Nai, vary, particularly between rural and urban areas. Using AI for medical imaging can help address the shortage of radiologists in hospitals, enhancing the quality of medical examination and treatment, especially in remote areas.

To illustrate, the Director cited the case of Tan Phu District Medical Center. After taking X-rays, the center would send the images to doctors at higher-level hospitals for interpretation. However, this process is not always smooth as doctors at higher-level hospitals may not always be available to read the results immediately. With AI, the images can be sent to an AI center, where the AI system will interpret the results, which are then reviewed and sent back to the lower-level facility. Based on these results, the local doctors can prescribe treatment for the patient. If the AI detects serious abnormalities, the higher-level hospital will notify the lower-level facility to transfer the patient for further monitoring and treatment. This process helps avoid missed diagnoses and reduces errors in imaging interpretation.

“Building an AI center does not require complex infrastructure since hospitals already have hospital management software, and electronic medical records will soon be implemented in more hospitals," said Dr. Trung.

Hospitals Eager to Apply AI
Mr. Dinh Cao Minh, Deputy Director of Dong Nai General Hospital, shared that the hospital conducts hundreds of X-rays, CT, and MRI scans daily. To interpret all these results, nearly 10 doctors must work tirelessly throughout the day. If AI is applied to read imaging results, it will significantly reduce the workload for doctors and technicians, help return results to patients faster, improve diagnostic accuracy, and minimize the risk of missed diagnoses due to doctor fatigue. 

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The IT control room at Long Khanh Regional General Hospital. 

Mr. Ta Quang Tri, Director of Dinh Quan Regional General Hospital, is also eager to implement AI in medical examination and treatment, as the hospital currently faces a shortage of radiologists. Dr. Tri hopes that AI will soon be applied so that hospitals in the province can effectively share and support one another.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Minh Hoa, Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, hopes to use AI to guide people in monitoring adverse effects after vaccination, remind them of upcoming vaccination appointments, manage health check-up databases, and build a comprehensive health sector database that can analyze data and predict future disease trends.​

According to Director Le Quang Trung, the Department of Health plans to pilot the AI application at Long Khanh Regional General Hospital first, as the hospital has a well-established IT system. Additionally, the hospital is implementing electronic medical records, facilitating the integration of imaging data throughout the system.