Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the operational model of healthcare institutions. At the heart of this transformation is the Centre for Healthcare Intelligence (CHI) at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC). Established in 2019, the CHI serves as a primary driver in advancing treatment outcomes, patient experience, and operational efficiency. Through a broader implementation of AI, the centre enables more accurate and faster diagnoses, as well as personalized treatments for each patient, contributing to the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Program, a key initiative of Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Since its inception, the centre has fostered an enabling environment that promotes the development of local expertise and capacities in applied AI. This has led to the creation of a sustainable AI and digital health ecosystem in the Kingdom, leading to the development of 20 locally powered AI applications, ranging from medical image analysis and patient flow management to resource optimization and patient experience enhancement. These applications are driving faster diagnoses, more efficient treatment planning, and predictive capabilities for hospital and patient needs.

In collaboration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the CHI has also established a unique training program in applied health AI and digital health, enhancing the ability of healthcare workers to make more precise and timely decisions and contributing to the broader advancement of the healthcare sector.

During the third edition of the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit (GAIN), which commenced earlier today, KFSHRC showcased its latest advancements in generative AI, entirely developed by Saudi talents. These innovations represent a major leap toward transformation into a smarter hospital. Following rigorous testing to ensure accuracy, reliability, and safety, these innovations are expected to be seamlessly integrated into the hospital’s operations, further enhancing KFSHRC's status as a leading hospital both locally and globally.

The innovative technology addresses the significant challenges faced by doctors and administrators in managing vast amounts of patient data, including patient records, clinical reports, hospital policies, and patient flow data. By automatically summarizing this data, it accelerates access to relevant insights and synthesizes them for more effective decision-making, improves the efficiency of patient care, and enables doctors to devote more time to treatment rather than administrative tasks. It also empowers staff to monitor or effectively monitor patient pathways and derive data-driven insights to enhance the overall patient experience.

Recognizing AI's potential in demand forecasting and its impact on optimizing response times and enhancing work plans, KFSHRC, through its Patient Flow and Capacity Command Centre established in 2021, has conducted more than 170,000 interventions, reducing average bed waiting times from 32 hours to 6 hours, and emergency department waiting times by 14%. Additionally, 90% of pharmacy and laboratory service recipients now receive service in under 15 minutes.

Recognition of KFSHRC's Efforts

In recognition of its efforts to accelerate the adoption of AI in the healthcare sector, KFSHRC has received several prestigious awards, including 2022 Leadership Award in Artificial Intelligence, at the International Exhibition and Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Computing, as well as the ZIMAM Digital Health Awards 2022 (in collaboration with HIMSS) for the Best Digital Health Transformation Project.

In the field of local capacity building, the hospital was honoured with the "Outstanding Specialized Professional Programs" award from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties for its applied health AI training program. Additionally, KFSHRC won the International Business Excellence Award (IBXA) 2024 Gold Award for "Best Use of Customer Insights & Feedback" for its AI-powered ANFAL system, which predicts patient satisfaction and analyses their experiences.

The hospital also achieved the seventh stage of the Adoption Model for Analytics Maturity (AMAM) from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), making it one of the few hospitals globally to reach this milestone, reflecting the hospital's capability to leverage AI in advancing the healthcare sector.

KFSHRC is a global leader in specialized healthcare and was recently ranked 20th on the list of the world’s best healthcare institutions and first in the Middle East and Africa, according to the 2023 Brand Finance rankings.