First steps taken to incorporate AI diagnoses into Catalan health system 

The health department has taken its first steps towards incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the Catalan health system. 

The program, announced by health minister Manel Balcells on Monday, will evaluate nearly 100 different AI tools, applicable in various areas, with the aim of monitoring their development and introducing them into the health service if they are considered to be of use. 

The ultimate purpose of the initiative is to improve the diagnosis of patients and make the health system more efficient. 

Some of the areas where AI projects show particular promise include analysis of chest X-rays and diagnosis of skin cancer and diabetic retinopathy, Balcells explained. 

"We are talking about the clinical application of AI as an instrument to help when making decisions, but always under the supervision of a clinician," the health minister said at a press conference. 

The program, called Health/AI, is made up of a group of experts and, according to Balcells, is the first of its kind in Spain. 

AI will not be applied to replace health professionals, but to provide them with more information, he said. 

The first phase of the initiative will be identifying potential AI tools. Once potential applications have been detected, tools will have to be validated before they are incorporated into the health system. 

Skin cancer 

Some hospitals in Catalonia are already using AI tools in specific areas. Hospital Clínic in Barcelona has been working with AI tools for more than five years to help doctors detect skin cancer in patients. 

Dr. Josep Malvehy, coordinator of the skin cancer department at the hospital's Institute of Medicine and Dermatology, warned that it will become increasingly difficult for patients in Europe to see a dermatologist due to a widespread lack of specialists and an increase in cases of skin cancer. 

AI tools in primary care could play "a fundamental role" as a first step in detecting and diagnosing potential cases of skin cancer, he said.