Not yet recruitingOBSERVATIONAL

Artificial Intelligence Triage of Patients Requiring Emergency or Unscheduled Care Who Need to be Referred to Hospital

Hospital emergency departments are often very busy, making it hard for them to see people who need immediate, life-saving care. This is partly because more people need care as they get older, and there aren't enough local doctors or clinics to help. Many people end up in A&E because they can’t get an appointment elsewhere. This study is testing if artificial intelligence (AI) can help. AI would 'listen' to phone calls from people seeking urgent or unscheduled care and help decide if they truly need to go to the hospital. This could help make sure people go to A&E only when necessary, freeing up resources for those who need them most, and guiding others to care closer to home.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Sponsor

SOS Médecins Grand Paris

Enrolment target

40,680

Start

02 Mar 2026

Estimated completion

01 Jun 2026

Need to Refer the Patient to the Hospital Emergency Department

What is this study about?

Hospitals, especially the emergency department (A&E), are often very busy. This can make it difficult for doctors and nurses to provide quick care to people who have serious, life-threatening conditions. A big reason for this busyness is that as people live longer, more care is needed, but there aren't enough local clinics or GPs to meet this demand. So, many people go to A&E because they can't find help for their urgent health problems anywhere else.

This study is looking at a new way to help. It's exploring how 'artificial intelligence', or AI, could be used to decide if someone who calls for urgent medical help really needs to go to the hospital. Imagine calling for help, and the AI system listens to your conversation. It then helps the person on the phone figure out the best place for you to get care – maybe it’s a visit from a local doctor, an appointment with a nurse, or perhaps you do need to go to A&E. The main goal is to make sure people get the right care in the right place, promptly.

Researchers have already taught an AI system to understand phone calls and medical records from a service in France called SOS Médecins, where doctors make home visits. The AI learned to predict which patients eventually needed to go to hospital after their home visit. This new study will test that same AI system with new data from SOS Médecins and another area called Corsica. They will also compare the AI's suggestions with what doctors decide and think about how this AI could be used in real life. This could potentially help reduce the pressure on busy A&E departments and make sure everyone gets the care they need more efficiently.

Key takeaways

This study uses AI to improve how people get urgent medical care.
It aims to help reduce crowded A&E departments by guiding patients to the right care.
The AI will analyse past phone calls and medical records from France.
No new patients or direct participation is involved in this research.
The goal is to decide if AI can accurately predict who needs hospital care.
The study compares AI predictions with doctors' decisions.

Who may be eligible?

To be included in this study, you would be someone of any age who received a home visit from an SOS doctor in 2024 or earlier after calling for medical help. This means the study is looking at existing information from past calls and visits, not new patients.

There are a few reasons why someone's information might not be included. If the individual did not speak French during their call or did not have health insurance, their information would not be part of this study. The study looks at existing records, so there are no direct actions required from participants.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Did you receive a home visit from an SOS doctor?
Was this visit in 2024 or earlier?
Did you speak French during your call to the service?
Did you have health insurance at the time of your call?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study does not involve new patients or active participation. The researchers are using existing, anonymised phone calls and medical records from people who previously used the SOS Médecins service in France. This means they are reviewing information from past medical events to see how the AI system performs. You would not need to attend any visits, take any medication, or have any follow-up appointments related to this study. The study focuses purely on evaluating the AI model using historical data.

Potential risks and benefits

Since this study uses existing, anonymised data and does not involve new patients or direct interaction, there are no direct risks to individuals. The potential benefit is that if this AI system works well, it could help guide people to the most appropriate care quickly, potentially reducing waiting times and improving efficiency in emergency services for many people in the future. You have the right to withdraw your data if it is part of the study, though because the data is anonymised, this might be challenging.

Locations (1)

SOS Médecins Grand Paris
Verified postcode
Paris, France

Common questions

What is AI?

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a type of computer program that can learn from information and make decisions or predictions, similar to how people think and learn.

Will this AI replace doctors?

No, this AI is designed to help and support medical staff, not replace them. It's like a tool to assist in making decisions about who needs to go to hospital and who could get help elsewhere.

How will my personal information be kept private?

The study uses anonymised information, meaning any details that could identify you are removed from the records before they are used. This protects your privacy.

What does 'triage' mean?

Triage is the process of deciding which people need the most urgent care based on how serious their condition is. In this study, it's about deciding if someone needs the hospital or can get help another way.

Is this study happening in the UK?

No, this particular study is based on information from France, using data from SOS Médecins in Paris and Corsica.

How to find out more

Laurent RIGAL, Dr

laurent.rigal@universite-paris-saclay.fr 00 33 6 25 72 62 84 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.