FTC Seeks Expert Advice from IDx CEO on Safely Introducing Real-World AI

CORALVILLE, Iowa, Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Trade Commission is today holding a public hearing on ethical and consumer protection issues related to new artificial intelligence (AI) applications. IDx Founder and CEO, Michael D. Abramoff, MD, PhD, will share his expertise on the safe implementation of AI in healthcare.

The hearing comes at a time when rapid expansion of AI applications is raising challenging questions on the impact these new technologies will have on consumers. Healthcare is an industry that has seen tremendous growth in AI technologies and AI in healthcare spending is projected to surpass $34 billion by 2025. Healthcare is also an industry where ethical concerns weigh heavily on the minds of experts and policymakers.

"Not all AI is created equal, and we need to educate the public on how to assess different types of healthcare applications," said Abramoff. "It is critical that autonomous AI applications are thoroughly validated and developed in a clinically safe and explainable way that builds trust with patients and clinicians. Safety needs to be the number one concern for responsible AI companies."

Abramoff will lend his expertise as a practicing physician and the founder of the first company to receive FDA clearance for an autonomous AI diagnostic system during a section of the hearing entitled, "Understanding Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and Predictive Analytics Through Real-World Applications." He has previously provided his expertise on AI in healthcare to the U.S. Congress and the White House Office of Science and Technology.

To date, IDx is the only the company to develop and implement autonomous AI in real-world clinical care. The company received FDA clearance in April 2018 for IDx-DR, an AI system that detects diabetic retinopathy without requiring a clinician to interpret the image or results. This enables health care providers who are not normally involved in eye care to use the AI system to test for this leading cause of blindness during routine office visits.

About IDx

IDx is a leading AI diagnostics company on a mission to transform the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare. Founded in 2010 by a team of world-renowned clinician scientists, the company is focused on developing clinically-aligned autonomous algorithms that detect disease in medical images. By enabling diagnostic assessment in primary care settings, IDx aims to increase patient access to high-quality, affordable disease detection.

The company's first product, IDx-DR, is an FDA-cleared AI-based diagnostic system designed for use at the front lines of care to detect diabetic retinopathy. IDx-DR is intended for use by health care providers to automatically detect more than mild diabetic retinopathy in adults (22 years of age or older) diagnosed with diabetes who have not been previously diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. IDx-DR is indicated for use with the Topcon NW400, an easy to use and highly accurate robotic fundus camera.

IDx is developing additional AI-based diagnostic systems for the detection of macular degeneration, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke risk. 

IDx

2300 Oakdale Blvd

Coralville, IA 52241

Phone:  319-248-5620

www.eyediagnosis.net

IDx Contact:

Laura Shoemaker

Director of Marketing Communications

1-319-248-5620

lshoemaker@eyediagnosis.net

Media Contact:

Linda Healan

Amendola Communications

1-404-725-7117

Lhealan@acmarketingpr.com

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SOURCE IDx