Health care providers at Mercy Health – Springfield will begin using a cloud-based artificial intelligence system from technology company Viz.ai within the next few weeks, a Mercy Health spokesperson confirmed.
The technology alerts neurovascular specialists of a suspected stroke. This enables earlier imaging review and better collaboration between physicians; care teams can analyze scans and decide on the most suitable course of treatment for patients, according to the hospital network.
“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. “We look forward to seeing improved outcomes.”
Research shows the typical person loses nearly 2 million neurons every minute a stroke goes untreated, according to the release.
Stroke was the fifth-leading cause of death in Ohio in 2019, outranking such conditions as diabetes and kidney disease, according to the CDC.
Viz.ai’s technology can potentially save critical minutes, even hours, in the triage, diagnosis and treatment of strokes by synchronizing care across the whole care team.
“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 Dr. Sushil Lakhani, the Stroke Medical Director for Mercy Health – Springfield.
The Viz Platform is now used in more than 900 hospitals across the nation and in Europe, including many within the Bon Secours Mercy Health network, and touches almost two patients every minute, according to the hospital network.
About the Author
