Informatics Commission Chair publishes response to JACR letter to the editor

ACR Commission on Informatics Chair Christoph Wald, M.D., Ph.D., co-authored a letter to the editor in JACR titled “Safe and Effective Artificial Intelligence Implementation in the Real World: A Shared Responsibility," with Mara Kunst, M.D., the neuroradiology section head at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center.  

The letter is in response to another letter to the editor published in JACR by Drs. Shalini Amukotuwa and Roland Bammer, who were commenting on a study that Drs. Wald and Kunst published with their colleagues in JACR in May about the real-world performance of large vessel occlusion artificial intelligence-based computer-aided triage and notification algorithms. 

One of the major points included the need for sites using artificial intelligence (AI)–powered, Computer-Aided Triage device cleared triage software technology to become thoroughly educated on the product. While customers are supposed to receive the FDA-required comprehensive software product-specific documentation called “Instructions for Use” (IFU), Drs. Wald and Kunst said many times they’ve seen that the IFUs don’t make it to the clinical front line, potential users in the emergency departments, stroke neurology, or imaging departments. 

To read more of Drs. Wald and Kunst’s response to the comments about their research, read their letter to the editor in JACR.