Tencent begins clinical trial using AI to diagnose Parkinson’s

Technology giant Tencent has begun a clinical trial in London of its AI program to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, Financial Times reported.

The company partnered with Medopad, a healthcare technology startup based in London, last year to create a new lab for AI, where they plan to target Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Tencent and Medopad are also working with the Parkinson’s Center of Excellence at King’s College Hospital in London.

The clinical trial will take place at a private mental health clinic in London, Dementech Neurosciences, and will involve roughly 40 patients over the next few months.

Tencent’s partnership with Medopad, which does not yet include a financial investment in the company itself, is viewed as a refocus for the company to experiment in the healthcare space, Financial Times reported.

According to the publication, the UK is a burgeoning place for AI in healthcare startups and more established technology bigwigs, with Google's DeepMind partnering with several British hospitals to remotely monitor patients using technology.

See the full story below:

Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

Around the web

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, said the clinical community needs to combat health misinformation at a grassroots level. He warned that patients are immersed in a "sea of misinformation without a compass."

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup