More than a thousand people in Norfolk deemed at risk of being admitted to hospital because of falls this winter have been offered ways to prevent accidents happening - after being identified by AI.
Health chiefs hope the unusual intervention will stop vulnerable people ending up in hospital over winter - when pressures can stretch the NHS and adult social care systems to the limit.
Norfolk County Council has used artificial intelligence to analyse people County Hall and district councils had contact with, to assess whether they were at risk of falling at home.
READ MORE: Artificial intelligence could help Norfolk's vulnerable
Councils and voluntary groups have then sent those people letters, called them or visited them to offer advice and suggestions.
It can lead to adaptations to their homes, such as installing hand rails, or trying to get them involved with their local communities, to keep them active and prevent isolation.
A spokesman at Conservative-controlled County Hall said: "Over the last year we’ve been using machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to identify people most at risk of falling in their own home.
"We know falls are a leading cause injury for older adults, reducing people’s independence and often leading to stays in hospital or further care.
"In order to support people and prevent them from falling, we offer adaptation to homes, such as installing rails and other aids, as well as community-based support like exercise classes and fire safety visits.
"The support has been accessed by 1,200 people, leading to a clear decrease in the number of falls among those who have received support."
A trial was initially conducted in south Norfolk, but is being extended across the county.
Mike Smith-Clare, Labour county councillor, said the initiative was "excellent" and suggested it could be used to identify people at risk from factors other than falls.
Conservative Brian Long also praised the scheme. He said: "It's far better to have a hand rail or some support put in before you have the fall, rather than have the fall and then have the hand rail put in."
In previous years, winter pressures have led to delayed discharges from hospitals and major backlogs in getting people home care support.
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