Healthy outlook for children thanks to AI screening
A boy receives an eye check at the AI-aided children and minor health screening and service center in Shanghai.
Local health checkup facilities and grassroots hospitals have included artificial intelligence into children's disease screening and health evaluation.
Myopia, tooth decay, overweight, obesity, unbalanced nutrition, curved spine and mental health are all issues affecting children's health.
According to the National Health Commission, about 53 percent of Chinese children and minors have myopia, and there are more than 5 million primary and middle school students affected by curved spines, which is rising by 300,000 new cases each year.
Regular health check and screening is an important measure to monitor children and teen growth and achieve early detection, early intervention and early treatment of diseases, said Dr Zhang Yiwen from Shanghai Children's Medical Center.
However, there is a serious shortage of pediatricians in the nation, which has 298 million children and minors with only 180,000 pediatricians. Most pediatricians are only available in leading professional or comprehensive hospitals.
A boy receives bone age measurement.
"Due to the lack of pediatricians, especially in the grassroots facilities, the adoption of AI technology to carry out large screening and primary disease detection can improve efficiency at a low cost," said Zhang Ligang, chief executive officer of iKang Healthcare Group, which initiated an AI-aided children and minor health screening and service center in Shanghai on Friday.
"The AI-based screening service is widely developed and used in health checkup facilities.
"Big data, cloud calculation and AI can help achieve more accurate, efficient and precise screening and disease identification.
"Each imaging film and picture will be screened by AI, which gives evaluation and forecast for children's future development.
"For instance, the AI system can carry out an overall evaluation of children's dental health and forecast its growth and assist doctors to give early intervention by individualized treatment plan."
A girl receives a dental radiography.
