ABSTRACT
‘Federated Learning’ (FL) is a method to train Artificial Intelligence (AI) models with data from multiple sources while maintaining anonymity of the data thus removing many barriers to data sharing. During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, 20 institutes collaborated on a healthcare FL study to predict future oxygen requirements of infected patients using inputs of vital signs, laboratory data, and chest x-rays, constituting the “EXAM” (EMR CXR AI Model) model. EXAM achieved an average Area Under the Curve (AUC) of over 0.92, an average improvement of 16%, and a 38% increase in generalisability over local models. The FL paradigm was successfully applied to facilitate a rapid data science collaboration without data exchange, resulting in a model that generalised across heterogeneous, unharmonized datasets. This provided the broader healthcare community with a validated model to respond to COVID-19 challenges, as well as set the stage for broader use of FL in healthcare.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , InfectionsABSTRACT
This study investigated the utility of artificial intelligence in predicting disease progression. We analysed 194 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Among them, 31 patients had oxygen therapy administered after admission. To assess the utility of artificial intelligence in the prediction of disease progression, we used three machine learning models employing clinical features (patient’s background, laboratory data, and symptoms), one deep learning model employing computed tomography (CT) images, and one multimodal deep learning model employing a combination of clinical features and CT images. We also evaluated the predictive values of these models and analysed the important features required to predict worsening in cases of COVID-19. The multimodal deep learning model had the highest accuracy. The CT image was an important feature of multimodal deep learning model. The area under the curve of all machine learning models employing clinical features and the deep learning model employing CT images exceeded 90%, and sensitivity of these models exceeded 95%. C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase were important features of machine learning models. Our machine learning model, while slightly less accurate than the multimodal model, still provides a valuable medical triage tool for patients in the early stages of COVID-19.