BreastScreen NSW is the first population-based breast screening program in Australia to successfully introduce artificial intelligence (AI) to support a radiologist's review of mammograms.
The technology also provides a breast density result for every person screened, empowering them to better manage their breast cancer risk. While this innovation was introduced to address recruitment challenges and growing demand for the program, a secondary benefit has been a reduction in false-positive recall rates. This has reduced clinical and operational costs and saved clinician time. For patients, it has reduced wait times for follow-up and lowered the anxiety associated with suspected breast cancer. The implementation of this technology followed a rigorous validation process, which provided strong evidence that this new model of care could be adopted without compromising the quality of the BreastScreen NSW program while also reducing radiologist workload. The validation informed both the decision to use the technology and the optimisation of the deployment strategy. The technology is closely monitored, with strong clinical and operational governance led by a Clinical Advisory Group of senior radiologists.
Introducing AI-assisted screen reading places NSW Health at the forefront of digital health, demonstrating rapid adoption of emerging technologies to address operational challenges while delivering safe, person-centred care.
The 2026 Health Innovation Award is proudly sponsored by Healthcare Home Loans
