Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38670745›Full record

ArticleThe Lancet. Digital health2024

Randomised controlled trials evaluating artificial intelligence in clinical practice: a scoping review.

Ryan Han, Julián N Acosta, Zahra Shakeri, John P A Ioannidis, Eric J Topol, Pranav Rajpurkar

Open access · goldAbstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in The Lancet. Digital health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 191 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
191citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
26.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

191 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 221 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Artificial intelligence in rehabilitation: a living systematic mapping review - first release.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Guideline
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131 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Ryan HanDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; University of California Los Angeles-Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Julián N AcostaDepartment of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Rad AI, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Zahra ShakeriInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
John P A IoannidisStanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Eric J TopolScripps Research Translational Institute, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: etopol@scripps.edu.
Pranav RajpurkarDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Harvard University · USPublic Health Ontario · CA

Funding

UCLA-Caltech Medical Scientist Training ProgramT32GM008042 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI AJIJOLA, OLUJIMI A, DAWSON, DAVID WAYNE · 1985 to 2023
$29.9M
Scripps Translational Science InstituteUL1TR002550 · NCATS · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI TOPOL, ERIC JEFFREY · 2018 to 2022
$28.9M
Scripps Clinical and Translational Science HubUM1TR004407 · NCATS · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI Eric Jeffrey Topol · 2023 to 2026
$24.2M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002550NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR004407NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008042
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This scoping review of randomised controlled trials on artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice reveals an expanding interest in AI across clinical specialties and locations. The USA and China are leading in the number of trials, with a focus on deep learning systems for medical imaging, particularly in gastroenterology and radiology. A majority of trials (70 [81%] of 86) report positive primary endpoints, primarily related to diagnostic yield or performance; however, the predominance of single-centre trials, little demographic reporting, and varying reports of operational efficiency raise concerns about the generalisability and practicality of these results. Despite the promising outcomes, considering the likelihood of publication bias and the need for more comprehensive research including multicentre trials, diverse outcome measures, and improved reporting standards is crucial. Future AI trials should prioritise patient-relevant outcomes to fully understand AI's true effects and limitations in health care.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicDeep LearningHumans

Identifiers

PMID38670745
PMCPMC11068159
OpenAlexW4395067202

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.