AI in use: Marburg Clinic revolutionizes the diagnosis of rare diseases!

AI in use: Marburg Clinic revolutionizes the diagnosis of rare diseases!

There are exciting events on the program at the Marburg University Hospital that deal with an important topic: rare diseases. On October 22nd and 25th, the organizers invite everyone interested to find out more about the latest developments in the area of ​​diagnostic support using artificial intelligence (AI). These events come at the right time not only at a time when around 300 million people worldwide suffer from rare diseases, but also in a country where four million sufferers are waiting for a correct diagnosis.

The events begin on October 22nd at 3 p.m. with the “FUSExRare Talk” in the auditorium of the Kopfklinik. An innovative AI model is presented here that was developed at the Marburg University Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine under the direction of Professor Martin Hirsch. Professor Jürgen Schäfer and his team also research rare diseases at the clinic. A particularly interesting aspect? Successful diagnoses are essential for optimal therapy, but it often takes a long time until the correct diagnoses are made. The journey to a diagnosis alone can take between five and 30 years.

About AI help and interdisciplinary collaboration

Professor Schäfer has taken a big step in the right direction. His team was able to show an example of how AI can help find the causes of symptoms such as blindness, deafness or severe hip problems. In one case, the analysis led to cobalt poisoning - a diagnosis that might otherwise have gone undetected for a long time. “AI does not replace doctors, but supports them,” he emphasizes, highlighting the important role that modern technology plays in improving patient care.

There is also the support of the Hessian Digital Minister Professor Kristina Sinemus and Tanja Raab-Rhein, who accompany the events as patron of the support association. Thanks to financial help from the ministry, a high-performance computer could be purchased for the AI ​​model, which enormously expands the possible uses.

The patient forum and its contents

A patient forum will take place on October 25th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in which doctors from the Marburg Center and representatives of self-help groups will be offered a platform to share useful information. The lecture on Osler's disease by Professor Urban Geisthoff and Simone Kesten will be particularly interesting. Dr. Tobias Geisel will talk about how important psychosomatics is for undiagnosed illnesses. The genetic causes of rare diseases as well as the chances of diagnosis through data use and AI are also discussed. Registration is required for both events at zuse@uk-gm.de.

The discussion about the use of digital diagnostic support systems is becoming increasingly louder. Various recent studies show that such systems can speed up diagnosis and help improve patients' quality of life by reducing stress and uncertainty. In fact, the use of AI can help make diagnoses more quickly, which not only benefits patients but could also provide significant savings to the healthcare system. It is estimated that healthcare costs could be reduced by up to 50% through the use of smart algorithms.

In addition, interdisciplinary special centers for rare diseases, such as those found in Marburg, offer comprehensive resources for diagnostics and therapy. These resources are essential because many of the more than 8,000 known rare diseases are often undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or diagnosed late. An example is leukodystrophy, a genetic metabolic disease. Projects like Leuko-Expert develop AI-supported diagnostic aids that aim to help patients more quickly.

Overall, it shows that innovative digital approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration can be crucial to better meeting the challenges of rare diseases. Events like this one in Marburg are a step in the right direction – there is clearly something to be said for the future of medicine!