Pacient často přichází s vytištěným výstupem od chatbota.
44 ǀ POSITIV 2/2026
ZDRAVOTNICTVÍ
Where is artificial intelligence genuinely working
in Czech healthcare? Not in pilot projects,
but in real-world practice?
The only AI-based solution that is currently reimbursed
by health insurance in Czechia is screening
for diabetic retinopathy. The back of the eye
of a patient with diabetes is photographed by a device,
the image is assessed by AI, and the result is reported
to the insurance company as a standard procedure.
For now, this remains an exception.
Other certified solutions function as so-called decision
support systems – a second pair of eyes for a radiologist
or specialist. For example, in the analysis
of mammography images, some healthcare facilities
offer women the option of having the image assessed
by AI for an additional fee. But the final say always
belongs to the doctor. The principle of humans
in the loop applies, and will continue to apply.
How long does it take for an AI solution to obtain
medical device certification in Czechia?
Today, we are looking at around twelve to eighteen
months. This is certification under the European MDR
regulation and, more recently, also in the context
of the AI Act. A product with AI elements goes
through independent certification authorities, which
assess whether it is of sufficient quality, comparable
with human experts, and whether adequate testing
has been carried out. The aim is to shorten this process
to six months or even less – and certification bodies
also need to have enough staff who understand AI.
How do general practitioners even find out
about the wide range of AI tools?
Our specialist society, which oversees
the AdvanceMed conference, began working this
year with the Association of General Practitioners
of the Moravian-Silesian Region and is organising
a half-day lecture and practical seminar for them,
focused on what GPs and outpatient specialists
currently have available. Many of them simply
do not know about these tools. There are solutions
for handling telephone conversations between patients
and outpatient clinics, administrative tools, smart
stethoscopes with AI, and Czech solutions for ECG
analysis. All of this is available, but only if you find out
about it.
You have published a comprehensive monograph on
AI in healthcare. Who did you write it for?
Primarily for healthcare professionals: doctors, nurses,
radiographers and hospital management. It covers
all fields in which certified AI solutions already exist:
dermatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology,
psychiatry and telemedicine. It also includes
chapters on legal issues, data protection and data
handling. However, we wrote it in a way that is also
understandable for non-healthcare professionals.
We are now preparing a second book, which will focus
specifically on general practitioners and outpatient
specialists. It should be published later this year.
What does AI education for doctors look like?
Is it systematic, or does it depend on individual
initiative?
For now, it depends more on initiative. AI is not
yet a compulsory part of postgraduate medical
education. The Faculty of Medicine at the University
of Ostrava was the first in Czechia and Slovakia
to establish its own Department of Artificial
Intelligence; I have the honour of serving as its head.
In February, we organised a full-day hybrid Med-AI
seminar for medical students from across Czechia
and Slovakia, under the auspices of the ministers
of both countries. A representative of the WHO also
expressed interest in the seminar, so it is possible that
we will bring the format to other countries as well.
At the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education,
a Department of AI has been established and there are
already specific courses for doctors after graduation.
These are the first systematic steps. But the pace
at which AI is developing is faster than the pace
of educational institutions. That is why we write books,
organise conferences, and representatives of our
specialist society, CSAIM ČLS JEP (csaim.cz), are
regularly invited to cardiology, neurology, psychiatry
and ENT congresses, where we say: this exists, this
is something you should know about.
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| Text: Monika Ševčíková, foto: Ondřej Volný, Petr Hlubek