Beyond pre-travel risk assessment: machine learning for clinical diagnosis in returned travellers

J Travel Med. 2026 Apr 1;33(3):taag016. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taag016.

Abstract

Machine learning (ML) applications in post-travel clinical care remain limited. ML-based models show good diagnostic performance for malaria when clinical, laboratory and travel itinerary data are incorporated, but only modest performance for gastrointestinal illness. Further work is needed to develop practical, clinically integrated ML-based decision-support tools for post-travel clinical care.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; clinical decision support; diagnostic accuracy; febrile illness; gastrointestinal; malaria.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Machine Learning*
  • Malaria* / diagnosis
  • Risk Assessment / methods
  • Travel Medicine* / methods
  • Travel*