Dr Charlotte Wahlich, City St George's, University of London

The NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) reviews ~12 million eye images every year for presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy, an eye condition caused by diabetes. Currently, trained professionals review all these images. But as more people develop diabetes, this will have a profound impact on workload. 

Evidence has shown that systems using artificial intelligence (AI) can review eye images as well as humans and could speed up the process and save money. However, no AI-assisted system is currently approved for use in the NHS DESP in England. 

Introducing AI is not just about having efficient technology—it is also important to know how people feel about it. A recent study we conducted, involving over 1,800 people living with diabetes (PLD) and healthcare professionals (HCPs), found that many are unsure or worried about AI. PLD were concerned about how AI would affect their care. HCPs were concerned about job security and ongoing career progression/training. 

To make sure AI is accepted, adopted and used as intended, maintaining safety and efficacy, we plan to co-develop educational workshops and videos to explain how these AI systems work, why they’re being introduced, and how they will support, rather than replace, healthcare staff. Interviews with PLD from a broad range of sociodemographic backgrounds and HCP will inform the design of these workshops. Equitable co-design will build trust through knowledge transfer and retain PLD and HCPs engagement with the screening service.