The American College of Radiology launched the ACR Recognized Center for Healthcare-AI (ARCH-AI), the first national artificial intelligence quality assurance program for radiology facilities.

The program, built on best practices, outlines expert consensus-based building blocks of infrastructure, processes and governance in AI implementation in real-world practice.

By working toward, and attesting to, compliance within the tenets of the program, participation in ARCH-AI can help radiology practices provide safe and effective implementation of AI products and help radiologists provide better patient care.  

"AI is different from previous technologies," said Christoph Wald, MD, PhD, MBA, FACR, vice chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors and chair of the ACR Commission on Informatics. "Even a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared AI product must be tested locally to ensure it works safely and as intended. Practice leaders must put safeguards in place to maximize the benefit of AI products while minimizing risk; ARCH-AI is a low-cost, efficient system to help sites do that."

ARCH-AI site recognition criteria include:

• Establishing an interdisciplinary AI governance group.
• Maintaining an inventory of AI algorithms with detailed documentation.
• Ensuring adherence to security and compliance measures.
• Engaging in diligent review and selection of AI algorithms.
• Documenting use cases and training procedures.
• Monitoring algorithm performance, including safety and effectiveness.
• Contributing to the "Assess-AI" central AI registry for performance benchmarking.

"ARCH-AI can help radiology practices structure QA processes that help them plan for what can go wrong, including the development of good AI governance practices, acceptance testing and effectiveness monitoring of AI products to ensure they continue to function as expected over time," said Keith J. Dreyer, DO, PhD, FACR, ACR Data Science Institute chief science officer.

Radiology practices that complete the ARCH-AI process will receive an ACR Recognition badge to display in their waiting rooms and lobbies to demonstrate to their communities, patients, payers and referring physicians that they are committed to integrating AI in a safe, responsible manner that allows them to provide the best possible modern healthcare.

"ARCH-AI provides a great blueprint and assists radiology facilities with AI implementation," said Bibb Allen Jr., MD, FACR, ACR DSI chief medical officer. "DSI also offers AICentral.org, a database of FDA-cleared imaging AI products, and Assess-AI, the ACR's AI registry that can support local AI acceptance testing and monitoring. These ACR programs can help practices meet ARCH-AI standards and receive meaningful guidance and assistance in implementing AI in a safe and effective manner for their patients."