As the omicron variant overwhelms emergency departments across the country, Novant Health is teaming up with AI-powered medical imaging company Aidoc to expedite patient care.
Aidoc’s AI platform includes seven solutions cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for triage and patient notification, which Novant Health will leverage to reduce length of stay in the emergency department while maintaining patient outcomes.
The collaboration allows Novant Health to address resource constraints inflicted by COVID-19 while furthering its strategy of adopting new technologies and pushing for innovation in AI, according to the health system.
"When diagnosing and treating critical pathologies like pulmonary emboli and hemorrhagic strokes, every second counts," said Eric Eskioglu, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical and scientific officer at Novant Health, in a statement. "We are thrilled to partner with Aidoc to bring yet another leading-edge AI technology to Novant Health. For years, we've been committed to harnessing innovative technologies to improve patient safety and outcomes through the Novant Health Institute of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence. With Aidoc's technology, our physicians will be able to more quickly identify and prioritize these patients and provide rapid life-saving treatments."
The health system will use the company’s AI tools for intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, incidental pulmonary embolism, c-spine fracture and free air in the abdomen.
RELATED: Aidoc secures $66M to help meet demand for AI imaging programs
Israel-based Aidoc has extended its solutions to hospitals and radiology groups worldwide, with over 10.3 million scans analyzed in the past year.
The company last grabbed $66 million in a series C round last July, bringing its total funding to $140 million raised since its 2016 launch.
"With rapidly rising numbers of people infected with the highly contagious omicron variant, we can see the hard impact on hospital emergency room capacities and resources across the U.S.," said Elad Walach, CEO and co-founder of Aidoc, in a statement "We're proud to partner with a leading, innovative hospital network like Novant Health, which serves a large portion of the population in the three states its facilities are located in."
Walach added, "Together, through our AI solutions and their state-of-the-art facilities, we will enable radiologists and related hospital providers to expedite care for tens of thousands of patients, contributing toward a mitigation of the current emergency room situations and setting an example for integrating innovation during turbulent and non-turbulent periods."
Health systems nationwide are buying into the promise of AI to automate its processes and improve outcomes.
RELATED: Microsoft, Cleveland Clinic and Providence join coalition to innovate AI in healthcare
Novant Health recently joined a coalition to advance the use of AI in healthcare alongside big names like Microsoft, Cleveland Clinic and Providence.
Senior executives from each of the nine partnering organizations will help co-create AI tools and track the adoption of AI technologies across the industry.
Most healthcare executives have adopted or plan to adopt AI strategies, according to a December survey by Optum.
The executives surveyed were also asked to rank the avenues by which AI can be leveraged to improve patient care.
Medical image interpretation landed in the third-place spot, preceded by virtual patient care as well as diagnosis and improving outcomes.