Grants
SDU researchers behind new EU project on artificial intelligence and medication safety
Researchers from Hospital Sønderjylland and the University of Southern Denmark will lead a new EU-funded research project under Horizon Europe aimed at developing AI for clinical decision support. The project has been awarded DKK 125 million and seeks to reduce medication errors and strengthen the treatment of older patients across Europe.
More than 10 per cent of hospitalised patients in Europe are affected by medication errors each year. At the same time, adverse drug reactions are associated with around 200,000 deaths annually. Older patients – particularly those living with multiple conditions and taking several different medicines – are especially at risk.
A new project led by Hospital Sønderjylland will use AI to develop a digital tool designed to help doctors identify risks and avoid errors when prescribing medication. The system will be capable of processing large volumes of knowledge and issuing warnings if something appears unsafe.
- As a doctor in the emergency department, I often lack a quick, comprehensive overview of older, seriously ill patients’ conditions, medication and test results. This overview is crucial when choosing the right treatment, but the latest knowledge is not always easily accessible, and in high-pressure situations something may be overlooked. That is why we need rapid, qualified decision support based on up-to-date knowledge. This is precisely what the project aims to develop, explains Christian Backer Mogensen, Clinical Professor at the Department of Regional Health Research and Chief Physician at Hospital Sønderjylland.
The project consists of three components: early risk assessment when older patients take multiple types of medication at the same time; support for doctors when medication needs to be reduced or discontinued safely; and adaptation of cancer treatment to match the individual patient’s genes, other medications and organ function (for example, liver and kidney function).
The project is led and coordinated by Hospital Sønderjylland. In collaboration with more than 100 researchers from 24 universities, hospitals and research institutions across Europe and internationally, the partners will develop, test and implement a new AI-based decision support solution.
- With this Horizon Europe grant, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of developing safe and responsible artificial intelligence in healthcare. Through this project, we will strengthen patient safety by reducing medication-related harm and supporting doctors in complex treatment decisions. The grant enables us to help shape the future of safe decision support in healthcare, says Trine Ungermann Fredskild, Visiting Researcher at the Department of Regional Health Research and Senior Consultant at Clinical Research, Hospital Sønderjylland.
About the project:
The project will run for 48 months. It has received EU funding of EUR 16.7 million – just under DKK 125 million. The project is led and coordinated by Hospital Sønderjylland in the Region of Southern Denmark.
The application received the top score of 15 out of 15 possible points. Only 3.8 per cent of applicants were awarded funding. The aim is to develop a safe AI assistant to help doctors provide more precise and reliable medication for older patients and patients with cancer.
The project is called AIM-SAFE and will be tested using data from six European hospitals – including Hospital Sønderjylland – involving a total of 40,000–50,000 older patients and patients with cancer. Although the project is based on artificial intelligence, the system will be installed directly at the hospitals, ensuring that patient data remain under local control and are not transferred to external cloud solutions.
Meet the researcher
Christian Backer Mogensen is the research leader of the project. He is Clinical Professor and Vice Head of Department at the Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Chief Physician at Hospital Sønderjylland.
Meet the researcher
Trine Ungermann Fredskild is the project manager. She is Visiting Researcher at the Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Senior Consultant at Clinical Research, Hospital Sønderjylland.