Telefónica Tech & Harrison.ai Partner on AI X-Ray Tool

Telefónica Tech, the business unit of Telefónica, has partnered with global healthcare technology firm Harrison.ai to bring an AI-powered diagnostics tool to regional health services across Spain.

The clinical tool is designed to support radiologists by analysing chest X-rays, with the partnership signalling a shift toward AI-assisted screening within existing clinical infrastructure rather than standalone diagnostic software.

Identifying clinical findings early

The AI system can automatically identify up to 124 clinical findings from a single chest X-ray, including pulmonary nodules, a finding central to lung cancer screening programmes.

Earlier identification of such findings could help medical practitioners flag critical conditions before they progress further. 

The tool is positioned as a support mechanism rather than a replacement for radiological judgement.

According to Harrison.ai, the underlying algorithm was trained using data from more than 780,000 chest X-ray studies, with at least three qualified radiologists independently labelling each study during development.

The algorithm holds a Conformité Européenne (CE) IIb medical device certification, described as the highest level of assurance for diagnostic support tools. 

This permits its use in cases involving potentially lethal health issues and reflects compliance with EU legislation governing safety, efficacy and quality.

Integrating into existing health networks

Telefónica's own AI and data specialists are integrating the system directly into existing healthcare infrastructure, aligning it with the technical and clinical requirements of Spain's regional health networks. 

Telefónica also provides managed maintenance and technical support.

Carlos Martínez, Head of Data and AI at Telefónica Tech, said the integration of AI into radiology marks a move towards more collaborative, technology-supported models of care.

"The incorporation of artificial intelligence into radiology represents a significant step towards more effective and efficient healthcare models, in which technology becomes an ally of healthcare professionals to deliver faster, more accurate and personalised care," Carlos says.

"With this new solution, which we are already offering to several regional health services, we are continuing to expand the services we offer our clients and making progress towards our aim of becoming the best gateway for citizens, businesses and public administrations to access digital technologies."

Expediting clinical workflows

Dr Aengus Tran, CEO and Co-Founder of Harrison.ai, believes the partnership will help make clinically validated AI tools available to more healthcare professionals.

"We are proud to partner with Telefónica Tech to bring clinically validated and scalable AI to healthcare professionals across Spain," Aengus says.

"Telefónica's reach in Spain gives us the opportunity to do what we set out to do: reduce the gap in healthcare capacity."

He added that the tool's aim is focused on earlier detection and case prioritisation.

"Our aim is simple: to help clinicians detect diseases such as lung cancer at an earlier stage, prioritise the most urgent cases and ensure that no findings go unnoticed," Aengus says.

Prioritising urgent patient cases

Medical staff retain ultimate authority on diagnoses and treatment pathways, with the system providing what is described as a rapid second opinion rather than a final decision.

Clinicians in accident and emergency departments or primary care units can access the AI-generated insights through a standard web browser, reducing delays before initial triage decisions are made.

The software acts as an initial filter, which could limit unnecessary referrals to specialists and free up capacity within radiology departments. 

It also integrates into radiologists' existing patient lists, allowing them to customise categorisation by urgency.