Digestive Disease Week 2024 wrapped this week with artificial intelligence among the topics and themes taking center stage.

DDW’s joint sponsorship by four medical societies — AASLD, AGA, ASGE and SSAT — makes it unique among digestive disease conferences worldwide, according to organizers, because of the showcase the conference provides for the latest science and clinical advancements.

ASGE hosted the “Artificial Intelligence: Endoscopy Reimagined” session. One presentation explored AI’s potential to improve patient care — but cautioned providers to remain aware of its limitations. Computer-aided detection and diagnosis and inflammatory bowel disease scoring were among the applications discussed that are being investigated by researchers.

AGA offered “Artificial Intelligence in GI Cancer Screening and Therapeutics” — underscoring the vast number of AI applications for healthcare that are in development. There were also sessions devoted to using AI for electronic medical records work and clinical decision-making, which we’ve explored in other flexible endoscopy specialties.

Research presented at the conference — held this year in Washington, D.C. — showed that a little more than half of patients surveyed trusted the results of AI in endoscopy, and three-fourths supported the use of the technology to analyze endoscopic images, according to MedPage Today. Only 20 percent, however, felt that artificial intelligence would be better than an experienced doctor.

Click here for “First Reports” coverage of the conference from Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News.  

Also on display was the world’s first therapeutic single-use gastroscope — one that’s partially made from bioplastic materials. The aScope Gastro Large, from Ambu A/S, was recently granted 510(K) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and sports a 4.2 mm working channel, a bigger size that increases suction for treating patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Single-Use Endoscopy is an Ambu USA learning center.

DDW 2025 will be held in San Diego May 3-6 and the theme is “Be Gutsy.”