Does It Work, Help, and Stay? A Framework for Deploying AI Tools in Radiology.
Authors
Affiliations (4)
Affiliations (4)
- Medical Director - Imaging AI, Staff, Section of Neuroradiology and Section of Imaging Informatics, Diagnostics Institute - Imaging, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, Mail code JB3, Cleveland, OH 44195. Electronic address: [email protected].
- Associate Staff, Section of Neuroradiology, Diagnostics Institute - Imaging, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/_Satyam_.
- Associate Director, Cardiovascular Innovation Research Center, Diagnostics Institute - Imaging, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/DavidChen_AIIH.
- Vice Chair for AI, Diagnostics Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Chair, Informatics Advisory Council, American College of Radiology, Co-Chair, 2025 Data Science Summit, American College of Radiology, Staff, Section of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/howardpchen.
Abstract
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice in radiology can be facilitated by following a structured pipeline for implementation. In this paper, we propose a practical framework for the responsible implementation of AI through four phases: validation, deployment, value assessment, and post-deployment surveillance. Validation involves retrospective or offline testing on institutional data to assess the model's local performance. Deployment progresses through limited trial and full deployment stages, with an emphasis on workflow considerations, integrations, operational metrics, and stakeholder feedback. Value assessment is longitudinal throughout these phases and encompasses both financial and non-financial returns on investment (ROI). Finally, ongoing surveillance can detect data drift, monitor clinical performance, and maintain AI safety. The framework proposed herein provides a governance-oriented approach to AI implementation, addressing the core questions: Does it work? Does it help? Does it stay?