Accurate diagnosis of complex diseases
At Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), AI applications in diagnosis and treatment, especially for cancer and cardiovascular diseases, have provided numerous benefits to patients. “Applying AI in diagnosis and treatment is one of the hospital’s six key tasks to enhance medical efficiency,” said Associate Professor, Dr Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital.
Recently, the hospital has applied AI in early lung cancer detection, allowing the identification of lesions as small as 3-5 mm. It has also been used for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers, identifying tumours in the stomach lining.
On February 22, the hospital signed a cooperation agreement with a partner in medical training and scientific research, including AI applications in diagnosis and treatment. In MRI imaging, the hospital utilises Compressed SENSE rapid imaging software, which enables scans to be completed up to 50% faster for 2D and 3D MRI scans of the brain, spine, musculoskeletal system, abdomen-pelvis, and cardiovascular system.
With AI support, ultrasound images are automatically and consistently captured between examinations, reducing discrepancies, simplifying routine cardiac examinations, and eliminating manual procedures.
According to Dr Dao Xuan Co, the hospital receives 6,000–8,000 patients daily. Accurate diagnoses help to optimise workflow, reduce workload pressure on medical staff, shorten patient waiting times, and improve medical service quality.
In Ho Chi Minh City, AI applications in hospitals over the years have significantly improved imaging quality and speed while enabling early disease detection, becoming a “powerful assistant” for doctors.
For example, the EyeDr software at Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital can screen for glaucoma in just 8-10 seconds, compared to the previous 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital has pioneered AI applications in echocardiography, making it the first hospital in Vietnam to implement this method.
At Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, after more than six months of using AI in head and neck cancer radiotherapy planning, new prospects have emerged. Dr Lam Duc Hoang, Head of the Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy Department, stated that their unit is the first in Vietnam to research and apply AI in radiation treatment planning using specialised Raysearch software, which integrates data and analysis.
By inputting patient information and scan images into the system, AI identifies lesions and calculates radiation doses from a large database. AI-assisted radiotherapy planning reduces the preparation time from 5-10 days to just 1-2 days, and for emergency cases, it can be done within a day.
Previously, a doctor would take 2-4 hours to manually outline lesions on a computer for each patient, but with the aid of AI, the process is reduced to just 2-4 minutes. Similarly, radiation dose calculations are significantly expedited. The doctor then reviews AI-generated results, and initial assessments indicate over 90% accuracy compared to human-drawn plans.
“With a new workflow integrating AI and human expertise, automation guided by AI minimises errors in radiotherapy planning, thereby reducing complications and improving patients’ quality of life,” Dr Hoang shared.
Strengthening human resource training
AI is gradually proving its role in making remarkable improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and resource management. However, experts point out that AI adoption in healthcare still faces many challenges.
The biggest barriers include underdeveloped technology infrastructure, high initial investment costs, and a shortage of high-quality personnel. Additionally, ensuring medical data security and building public trust in AI-driven solutions are urgent priorities.
“One of the biggest issues is the lack of a sufficiently large and diverse medical dataset to train AI models for comprehensive analysis and application. Moreover, highly trained personnel are needed to use AI correctly and effectively while avoiding over-reliance on automated models,” Dr Lam Duc Hoang noted.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, acknowledged that despite notable achievements in building a smart healthcare system, the city’s healthcare sector still faces challenges. Stronger investments in technology infrastructure are required to ensure system stability and data security.
Additionally, medical professionals need specialised training to maximise the benefits of new technologies. Policies and coordination mechanisms among departments also need to be refined to accelerate digital transformation.
In the near future, AI will play an increasing role in medical imaging diagnosis, easing the workload for doctors. Furthermore, AI will be a valuable tool in detecting even the smallest abnormalities.
“Building a smart healthcare system is not just a trend but an urgent requirement to improve healthcare quality. The digital transformation journey in healthcare will continue to advance toward a more modern, transparent, and efficient system that best serves the public,” Dr Tang Chi Thuong emphasised.
To maximise AI’s potential in healthcare, Vietnam must focus on investing in technology infrastructure, enhancing human resource training, and establishing a robust legal framework. These efforts will not only ensure the sustainable development of AI but also secure long-term benefits for both the community and the national healthcare system.
