Who are medical physicists and what is their role in AI safety?

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Medical Physicists Play a Crucial Role in Ensuring the Safety and Reliability of AI in Healthcare

Medical physicists are essential healthcare professionals responsible for the safe and accurate operation of medical technologies, a role that is expanding to encompass the oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in clinical settings. Their expertise in quality assurance, performance evaluation, and risk management is critical for validating AI algorithms, ensuring they function effectively across diverse patient populations and remain reliable after software updates. As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare, medical physicists are positioned to monitor its performance, identify potential biases, and contribute to hospital AI governance, ultimately fostering patient trust in these advanced technologies.
The Evolving Responsibilities of Medical Physicists

Traditionally, medical physicists have focused on the calibration and safety of physical medical equipment, such as CT scanners, MRI machines, and radiotherapy devices. However, the advent of AI in healthcare necessitates an expansion of their traditional remit. They are now increasingly involved in assessing the performance and safety of AI algorithms themselves, moving beyond the physical hardware to scrutinise the software that drives clinical decision-making. This evolution means their responsibilities now include evaluating how AI systems perform within specific local healthcare environments, which can differ significantly from the settings where the AI was initially developed and trained.
Ensuring AI Performance and Patient Safety

The core function of medical physicists in AI safety lies in their ability to ask critical questions about AI system validation and performance. This includes verifying whether an AI tool, potentially trained on data from regions like Europe or North America, performs equally well for Malaysian patient demographics, disease patterns, and healthcare infrastructure. They are instrumental in conducting quality assurance tests and performance evaluations to ensure AI systems remain accurate, reliable, and fair throughout their lifecycle. This continuous oversight is paramount because AI systems, unlike static medical equipment, can change performance based on software updates, new datasets, or evolving clinical practices, making ongoing monitoring essential for patient safety.
The Importance of Local Validation and Risk Management

A key contribution of medical physicists to AI safety is their role in local validation and risk management. They possess the expertise to assess whether AI systems are adequately tested in the specific local environment where they will be deployed. This involves scrutinising performance across different patient groups to identify any potential biases or disparities. Furthermore, medical physicists are vital in managing the risks associated with AI, including data protection concerns and the potential for performance degradation after software modifications. Their background in risk assessment and clinical technology uniquely positions them to support the safe and responsible adoption of AI in healthcare facilities across Malaysia.

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Who are medical physicists and what is their role in AI safety?

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