Justin Fraser, M.D., and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky commonly utilize the slogan “Time is Brain” to highlight the importance of their care. That is because, as stroke physicians, every second matters.
Justin Fraser, M.D., and Muhammed Fawad Ishfaq, M.D., are able to quickly review patient scans through their phones. Image Credit: Lily Wilder
For instance, according to Fraser, a patient suffering from a major vessel occlusion—a blockage of one of the brain’s larger arteries—loses, on average, two to three million neurons per minute. According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the sixth most common cause of death and a major cause of disability in the United States, making it critically necessary to receive emergency care.
Researchers at the UK College of Medicine are creating efficiency in patient triage via the use of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
In 2020, the neurology department implemented Viz.ai, a software application that, according to Fraser, is revolutionizing their stroke program. The software enhances the individualized care given by UK HealthCare doctors, rather than taking the place of the human component, which is essential to compassionate and thorough treatment.
Before Viz.ai, a computed tomography (CT) scan would be performed on a patient who presented to UK HealthCare with stroke-like symptoms. After seeing the patient, a resident would consult with an attending physician and together, they would review the films. Diagnostic examination and treatment triage became even more complex when patients tried to be transferred from the UK to community hospitals in the surrounding area.
With this tool, as soon as that CT scan is performed, it is automatically sent to us on our phones. Within seconds, we receive a notification. In many ways, it is bringing the team virtually to the patient’s bedside.
Justin Fraser, M.D., Vice Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Kentucky
Fraser and his neuro-interventional colleagues, who treat patients in over thirty institutions around the Commonwealth, might discover this extremely helpful. After a patient has a stroke scan, the results can be instantly analyzed to see if the patient needs to go to the UK for further care, such as a thrombectomy.
UK HealthCare is a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the highest certification that a stroke center can receive. Thrombectomy is a treatment in which neuro-interventionalists employ minimally invasive access to unblock blocked blood veins in the brain, therefore preventing the stroke from becoming permanent.
The Viz.ai app enables Fraser and his team members to interact in a HIPAA-compliant setting.
According to Forbes, Viz.ai has negotiated contracts with over 900 hospitals by 2022 and was Medicare-approved. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, Chandrabhatla et al. stated that FDA-approved AI/ML-enabled technologies for stroke diagnosis and management “have proven to be powerful tools in improving the efficiency and accuracy of patient care decisions by physicians.”
Fraser sees AI as a critical tool for data tracking intending to improve patient care in the long run.
Fraser added, “With the way the app is set up, we can track turnaround time and how quickly we helped patients receive the treatment they need.”
While there is still much to learn about the use of AI in medicine and health care, Fraser and his colleagues see great potential in how it might assist patients with urgent needs, such as those suffering from strokes.