A multi-institutional team led by Queen Mary University of London has secured a £1.8 million contract to conduct a clinical trial evaluating the Artificial Intelligence in Trauma Risk Prediction System (AI-TRiPS). This AI-powered decision-support tool is designed to aid in time-critical medical decision-making for severely injured patients, potentially revolutionizing trauma care worldwide.
The study will deploy AI-TRiPS across The London Trauma System, the largest integrated trauma network globally, serving over 10 million people. Trauma specialists from London’s four major trauma centers, along with doctors and paramedics from London’s Air Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service, will participate in the trial.
AI-TRiPS: An Innovative Approach to Trauma Care
AI-TRiPS integrates cutting-edge trauma research, registry data, and clinical expertise to provide evidence-based predictions about the risks faced by critically injured patients. The system offers guidance on how best to manage these risks upon arrival at the hospital. Developed by trauma surgeons, military experts, and computer scientists, the AI algorithms are designed to be user-friendly, providing clear and accessible insights to clinicians.
Colonel Nigel Tai, Honorary Professor of Trauma Surgery and Innovation at Queen Mary and lead investigator for the study, emphasized the potential benefits: "We think that victims of major trauma - civilian and military - stand to benefit from new technologies, designed to give clinical teams the right information about their patients when they needed most."
Rigorous Evaluation and Transparency
The trial is designed as a randomized controlled study to rigorously assess the impact of AI-TRiPS on patient outcomes. A key feature of the system is its transparency, with an "open box" design that explains the reasoning behind its predictions, ensuring that clinical users can easily understand and explore the system's logic.
Professor Marion Campbell, Professor of Health Services Research at the University of Aberdeen, whose Clinical Trial Unit will design the randomized controlled trial and evaluate the impact of the decision support system, noted: "This project will provide crucial evidence on how innovative AI technology might enhance trauma care and we are delighted to be part of the team conducting this exciting research."
Trial Timeline and Future Implications
The clinical trial is scheduled to begin in January 2025 with a year of development and regulatory approvals. Patient recruitment will commence in early 2026, with results expected in 2027. The broader ambition is to introduce AI-powered decision-support tools in diverse settings, including civilian emergency care and military operations. The algorithms have been designed for adaptability, aiming for application in complex environments such as battlefield medicine. If successful, this initiative could save thousands of lives by improving the speed and accuracy of medical decisions in trauma care.
