NJ Hospital to Implement Colonoscopy AI Tech in Underserved Communities

New Jersey-based Hackensack University Medical Center has received funding from the Health Equity Assistance Program to support the installation of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted colonoscopy technology, and training and technical assistance, to benefit underserved communities.

Hackensack will implement an AI tool, known as GI Genius, in its Outpatient Endoscopy and Surgery Department. GI Genius is designed to detect colorectal polyps automatically in real-time, which has the potential to aid in early detection and clinical decision-making.

The hospital plans to use the tool to increase screening and early detection to prevent colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence in low-income and underserved communities. These communities often do not have access to screening services and advanced healthcare technologies, which can lead to health disparities and adverse health outcomes.

“For communities that historically have not availed themselves of colorectal cancer screening, the availability of GI Genius is a game-changer,” said Rosario Ligresti, MD, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Hackensack University Medical Center, in the press release. “It’s a real door-opener not only to colonoscopy but to high-quality colonoscopy.”

At Hackensack, any patient undergoing a screening colonoscopy may be screened with the AI tool at their doctor’s discretion, and this additional screening comes at no extra cost, according to the press release.

“GI Genius is a major advance because of its ability to detect smaller and earlier precursor lesions in the colon, thereby enabling the removal of these lesions before they become cancerous,” Ligresti continued. “Moreover, with its AI-driven precision technology, GI Genius eliminates much of the variability between colonoscopists in detecting adenomas.”

The Food and Drug Administration authorized GI Genius in April 2020. According to Ligresti, the tool detects more clinically relevant lesions than a colonoscopist would typically be able to see without adding clinical burdens such as extra complexity, effort, or time.

“By offering this cutting-edge technology to populations long underserved by the health care system, we have the potential to greatly improve upon the 5,000 colorectal cancer screening procedures we perform annually at Hackensack University Medical Center. If we can double or even triple the procedure rate, we can potentially impact as many as 15,000 lives through earlier detection and prevention, which would be a tremendous benefit to the community,” Ligresti said.

The use of AI to prevent CRC is becoming more prevalent as these technologies advance.

In April, researchers found that using AI during screening colonoscopies can prevent CRC incidence, reduce mortality, and increase cost-effectiveness across the care continuum.

The researchers conducted a microsimulation that comprised screening colonoscopies with and without AI for a hypothetical group of 100,000 people at average risk for CRC between the ages of 50 and 100.

Compared with no screening, the analysis found a relative reduction in CRC incidence of 44.2 percent for screening colonoscopies without AI versus 48.9 percent for colonoscopies with AI. Additionally, mortality results revealed a 48.7 percent relative reduction for screenings without AI versus a 52.3 percent relative reduction for those with AI.

In terms of cost reduction, AI use decreased costs from $3,400 to $3,343 per screened individual, representing a potential savings of $57 per person.