Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence for Gatekeeping in Referrals to Specialized Care

Launched by HOSPITAL DE CLINICAS DE PORTO ALEGRE · Jun 5, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial aims to study how an artificial intelligence (AI) tool can help improve the process of referring patients to specialists. In Brazil, particularly in rural areas, there has been a significant increase in the number of referrals for specialist care. Unfortunately, many of these referrals are approved automatically, which can lead to delays for patients who urgently need care and unnecessary visits for those who don’t. The trial will compare the new AI system to the standard way referrals are handled to see if it can speed up the decision-making process and better prioritize patients.

To participate, individuals must be part of the referral process for selected specialties, as determined by the local health department. The study will not include referrals that the AI cannot evaluate, such as those with additional documents or cases where the AI is unsure about the decision. Participants can expect that their referrals will either be managed by the AI system or by a human reviewer, with the goal of making faster and more accurate decisions about their care. This trial is still in the planning stages and is not yet recruiting participants.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • All referrals from a given specialty (waitlist) will be eligible.
• • Specialties will be selected following Rio Grande do Sul Health Department priorities.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Referrals that the AI algorithm can not evaluate. These include referrals with attachments (further information in image or PDF files) and referrals with previous rounds of discussion.
• • Referrals in which the algorithm has low confidence in the decision (i.e., informed data lead to a decision with a probability below 80%) will not be included in the study.