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AI in healthcare – Helsinki leading the way
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AI in healthcare – Helsinki leading the way

Artificial intelligence (AI) I is just getting started in healthcare, but the potential to do good is simply tremendous, says Miikka Korja, Chief Innovation Officer at HUS Helsinki University Hospital. With all the talent and expertise accumulated in Helsinki, he believes that health-related AI could well be the next Nokia for Finland.

HUS Helsinki University Hospital is a global forerunner in healthcare AI. The hospital started looking into AI around 2015, studying neural networks within the human brain as well as getting a handle on machine learning. HUS has a digital archive of over 20 million images – truly “Big Data” in the sense that high volumes really provide AI with something to chew on.

“As one of the biggest hospitals in Europe, HUS produces and deals with lots of data – just looking at imaging and monitoring activity, for example,” says Miikka Korja, Chief Innovation Officer at HUS.

For a trained radiologist, it takes a long time to go over, in detail, images from patients’ brains – while a trouble-shooting AI will cover vast numbers of images very effectively. AI can be especially useful in pointing out those cases where there are no problems visible in the images. The actual imaging analysis is still conducted by a human professional.

Data, AI and best expertise to combat brain disease 

To push deeper into this field at HUS, a development project AI Head Analysis under the umbrella of the CleverHealth Network ecosystem was launched in 2017. The goal of the development project is to improve the treatment of brain diseases by developing diagnostic support tools to help out doctors – and do it together with the corporate world.

“We want to develop clinically significant image analytics based on artificial intelligence,” Korja outlines the game plan.

According to Korja, the core idea of CleverHealth Network ecosystem is that HUS’s doctors and nurses bring their clinical excellence to the table, while Finnish and international technology companies bring various software and hardware expertise, as well as marketing and business expertise.

AI having massive potential in healthcare

Currently, Korja splits his time working at the Department of Neurosurgery at HUS as a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and HUS Chief Innovation Officer.

“The potential of AI is so massive, it’s going to totally turn healthcare upside down,” Korja says.

With all the talent and expertise accumulated in Helsinki, Korja believes that health-related AI could well be the next Nokia for Finland.

Miikka Korja
Miikka Korja will be speaking about AI in healthcare at the Radical Health Festival Helsinki in June 2023.

This Press Release is based on the article by Health Capital Helsinki, first published at https://healthcapitalhelsinki.fi/ai-in-healthcare/

 Radical Health Festival Helsinki: June 12-14, 2023 at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre (Messukeskus). | https://www.radicalhealthfest.com | #radicalhealthfestival

About the Radical Health Festival
The Radical Health Festival is a new pan-European event where international key players in digital health will come together to create one of the largest health markets across AI, cyber, innovation, mental health, climate health, active aging, telehealth, and digital maturity. The event aims to transform healthcare, deliver value, improve clinical and financial outcomes, and make health systems sustainable. Sign up to receive the latest news about the Radical Health Festival Helsinki: https://www.radicalhealthfest.com/

Organising partners of the Radical Health Festival Helsinki
The event is organised by the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre (Messukeskus) and éditohealth.

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is the largest event organiser in Finland, producing high-quality events and renting out facilities and services for live, hybrid and online events. Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is responsible for the sales and marketing of the Radical Health Festival Helsinki, as well as for the partnerships in Finland.

éditohealth is an international healthcare thought leader and event organiser, with more than thirty years of international experience in organising conferences and exhibitions focused on healthcare management. éditohealth is responsible for the management of the international strategic partnerships of the Radical Health Festival Helsinki and for content creation for the event.

More information:

Pia Heikkurinen
Specialist, capacity for renewal, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra
Secretary general and event architect, Radical Health Festival Helsinki
Pia.Heikkurinen@sitra.fi I +358 50 4651025

Sean Roberts
Strategic relations officer, éditohealth
sean@editohealth.org I +33 619 553 339

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