A joint team of investigators from the University of North Carolina and the University of Zambia has published a landmark clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study, led by UNC Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, demonstrates that artificial intelligence (AI) can enable novice users to estimate gestational age as accurately as expert sonographers, potentially transforming pregnancy care in low-resource settings. To read the study, click here.
“This study represents a major step forward in our ability to provide quality prenatal care globally,” said Dr. Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, lead author and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UNC. “By combining AI with portable ultrasound technology, we’re bringing expert-level diagnostics to regions that have long lacked access to such resources.”
This research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ari Moskowitz, Deputy Director for Medical Devices & AI at the Foundation, called the study “a significant step forward in our mission to improve maternal and newborn health globally.” Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE: BFLY) provided the Butterfly iQ+ ultrasound devices used in the study and collaborated closely with the researchers to integrate the AI model into the device software.
Dr. Margaret P. Kasaro, senior author and Country Director at UNC Global Projects Zambia, emphasized the potential impact: “In many low- and middle-income countries, women often don’t receive an ultrasound during pregnancy. This technology could change that, helping to identify high-risk pregnancies and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.”
“The Journal of the American Medical Association is the most widely circulated general medical journal in the world, with more than 125,000 recipients of the print journal, more than 2.2 million recipients of electronic tables of contents and alerts, and over 30 million annual visits to the journal’s website. JAMA’s acceptance rate is “12% of the more than 9,500 annual submissions and 5% of the more than 4,800 research manuscripts received.”
Here is a copy of the full press release Stringer JAMA Press Release for 1 Aug 2024.
Dr. Jeffrey Stringer appeared on JAMA’s podcast about the study.