Use of Artificial Intelligence-Based Software as Medical Devices for Chest Radiography: A Position Paper from the Korean Society of Thoracic Radiology

Abstract

Chest radiography (CR) is the primary examination for the evaluation and follow-up of various thoracic diseases. The number of examinations is steadily on the increase, as is evidenced by the national health insurance data in Korea. However, due to the relative shortage of experienced radiologists, many institutions cannot provide timely interpretation of CRs or depend on outsourcing for interpretation. In this background, artificial intelligence (AI) for the evaluation of CR has been actively investigated, and several AI-based software as medical devices (AI-SaMDs) have begun to be used in clinical practice. However, there has been limited discussion on how to use AI-SaMDs in clinical practice; there are also concerns about inappropriate use or abuse of AI-SaMDs resulting in patient harm and liability for physicians. This article introduces the current situation regarding the application of AI-SaMD for CR in clinical practice and presents the opinion of the Korean Society of Thoracic Radiology (KSTR) toward use of this application.