Interventional radiologist launches AI-powered, IR-specific decision support platform

An artificial intelligence-powered clinical decision support platform designed specifically for interventional radiologists launched last week during the Society of Interventional Radiology’s annual conference. 

VIRad.AI was developed to assist interventional rads in building procedural planning and clinical decision-making skills. Developed by Founder Syed Aziz Rahman, MD, a board-certified diagnostic and interventional radiologist, the platform was trained using subspecialty data that general AI applications typically lack.  

It includes an IR-specific question bank, procedure reference library and device catalog that will adapt as new technology becomes available. The platform also has an integrated Journal Club that analyzes IR-related papers for accuracy and appropriateness. 

Rahman believes the platform has an edge over other AI-powered tools, such as OpenAI’s GPT series, due to its specialized training. 

“Interventional radiology is its own hyperspecialized discipline with procedures, devices and evidence that general medical AI often treats as a footnote,” Rahman said in a news release. “We built VIRad.AI ground up from an interventional radiology–centric lens, grounded in the literature interventional radiologists actually cite, organized around the decisions interventional radiologists actually make.” 

A team of board-certified interventional radiologists continuously updates the platform to ensure it has the most up-to-date information. The company also employs AI engineers to monitor performance, modify it as needed and improve responses to different types of queries. Rahman believes it is a valuable reference tool for busy IRs looking for additional clinical support in managing complex cases. 

“This is clinical decision support, built by interventional radiologists for interventional radiologists,” he said.