Ohio Health System to Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Stroke Care

Ohio-based Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center announced a collaboration with San Francisco-based software company Viz.ai to implement artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to improve stroke detection and notification.

Viz.ai’s cloud-based platform alerts neurovascular specialists of a suspected stroke, enabling earlier imaging review and better collaboration between physicians, according to the press release. Using a mobile interface, care teams can collaborate in real time to analyze scans and decide on the most suitable course of treatment.

“This new technology will transform the way we’re able to deliver stroke care to our patients and our community by allowing our staff to securely communicate and synchronize care all while determining the optimal patient treatment decision,” said Chase Collins, director of neurosciences at Mercy Health – Springfield, in the press release. “We look forward to seeing improved outcomes.”

The health system hopes to use the technology to save critical minutes and hours in the triage, diagnosis, and treatment of strokes, which could significantly impact health outcomes. Using the platform, clinicians can engage in synchronized care remotely.

“Whether I’m elsewhere in the hospital or even off site, this technology allows me to read the scans on my phone right away. That speeds up detection and reduces the time needed to gather data for urgent decision-making, such as which treatments are needed or which parts of the brain will be irreparably damaged if not treated,” said Sushil Lakhani, MD, stroke medical director for Mercy Health – Springfield, in the press release.

This partnership is part of Mercy Health – Springfield’s efforts to improve stroke care. The health system was just awarded the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Quality Achievement Award.

“Beyond what we’re already doing to ensure quality [stroke] care for our patients, Mercy Health – Springfield is in the process of adding various new technology, so our providers have the best tools available to help them save lives and improve outcomes,” Collins stated. “From detection to treatment, we’re building a truly comprehensive neuroscience program so people living in Springfield and the surrounding areas have the best level of care available.”

This partnership highlights the growing interest in using AI to predict and prevent strokes.

One predictive analytics tool, evaluated in an AHA study published in Stroke in June 2020, was found to accurately forecast patients’ risk of ischemic stroke based on the severity of their metabolic syndrome, a collection of conditions that includes high blood pressure, excess body fat around the abdomen and waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

To evaluate the relationship between ischemic stroke risk and metabolic syndrome, researchers reviewed more than 13,000 participants in prior studies and their stroke outcomes. After analyzing the relationship, the team used the predictive tool to find that the subgroup with the highest association between the two conditions was White women. In this group, the tool was also able to identify relationships between individual contributors to metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, and stroke risk.