South Australia is set to trial a digitalised colonoscopy database led by Flinders University for managing the rising demand for colonoscopies.

The trial will also help create a data registry for cancer research in the future.

The Surveillance for Colorectal Cancer Prevention (SCOPE) project will focus on developing, validating and implementing a digital intervention surveillance to optimise bowel cancer detection.

SCOPE will also use artificial intelligence for lowering bowel cancer risk in Australia.

Five different hospital networks in South Australia will implement the project for determining the programme's suitability, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

The Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund National Critical Research Infrastructure Grant has provided A$2.9m ($1.9m) for the project.

Associate Professor Erin Symonds from the College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Medical Centre will lead the project as a chief investigator.

Symonds said: “The trial will build on the success of our proven framework for surveillance of those at increased risk for bowel cancer and provide a digital solution that links and collates data from existing hospital records and uses artificial intelligence algorithms to determine the appropriate surveillance recommendations based on current guidelines.”

Endorsed by national and international cancer prevention agencies, the new project also includes other researchers from Flinders University, University of Adelaide, Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health and Cancer Council NSW.

This project is based on the success of the Southern Co-operative Program for the Prevention of Colorectal Cancer, which was launched in 1999 at Flinders Medical Centre.