The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first autonomous artificial intelligence diagnostic system, IDx-DR and the University of Iowa Healthcare has become the first healthcare organization to implement it.

IDx’s AI system is able to detect diabetic retinopathy through medical imaging.

IDx, an AI diagnostics company, develops algorithms that identify diabetic retinopathy in diabetic individuals 22 years of age or older, who have not been already diagnosed with it.

IDx-DR became the first autonomous AI diagnostic system in April, to be given the green signal by the FDA, which signifies that it utilizes AI to diagnose without the assistance of clinicians to interpret the reports. This serves as a great help to healthcare professionals not involved in eye care to test for diabetic retinopathy, a common cause of blindness, during routine clinic visits.

UI Health Care aims to extend the use of the AI across the health system. Following a few hours of training, non-clinical UIHC staff were capable of using the system to perform diabetic retinopathy testing, UI Health Care reported.

Dale Abel, MD, director of the division of endocrinology and metabolism at UI Health Care commented “Early detection of diabetic retinopathy is an essential component of comprehensive diabetes care. This innovation further strengthens our ability to provide state-of-the-art care for our patients with diabetes.”.

IDx-DR provides an easy alternative to diabetics to complete their recommended annual diabetic retinopathy check-up even though the aim is not to replace a complete eye examination by an ophthalmologist. This is important in particular for as many as 50 percent of diabetics who may have impending vision loss and do not get their eyes checked annually, UI Health Care said.