AI Support in the Patient Care Journey

Northwell Health Develops a Fast Track for Cancer Diagnoses

In 2023, Northwell Health introduced iNAV, an AI tool developed by three physicians to analyze MRIs and CT scans for cancer. iNAV looks at scans that patients obtain for other health reasons, presenting a chance to detect cancers much earlier. When the tool flags an issue, a multidisciplinary team reviews the findings, enabling care navigators to expedite biopsies.

iNAV quickly proved its value, reducing biopsy wait times from 22 days to just seven and treatment time from 56 days to 34. At scale, such improvements can be momentous for systems such as Northwell, which has 21 hospitals throughout the state of New York.

“The sooner patients get in, the sooner they can start treatment, and the better the outcomes are,” says Dr. David Rivadeneira, director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Huntington and physician in chief for clinical strategic initiatives for Northwell Health’s eastern region.

Initially piloted for pancreatic cancer, iNAV now detects other cancers as well. Northwell Health also uses AI for treatment planning and clinical trial matching, synthesizing massive amounts of data to help clinicians optimize and personalize care.

“Everybody’s tumor is different, and everybody’s cancer responds in a different way,” Rivadeneira says.

Time named iNAV one of the best inventions of 2024, recognizing early detection’s critical role in better outcomes.

“We’re very excited about this platform,” Rivadeneira says. “I think many health centers will look to adopt something like this.”

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MUSC Works Toward an Agile Approach to AI

In Charleston, S.C., the Medical University of South Carolina Health has leveraged an AI platform for a growing number of use cases. MUSC initially deployed the solution to streamline patient registrations before branching out to care-gap outreach and insurance authorizations.

Enterprise Chief Digital Transformation Officer Crystal Broj says this gradual expansion reflects an important aspect of AI: “You have to be willing to be iterative.”

When MUSC added a copay feature to patient registrations, it didn’t work flawlessly at first. But by adding features slowly, the health system could incorporate patient feedback and refine the platform before rolling it out to its 700 offices statewide.

Being agile also allows for proper change management, Broj adds, ensuring that staffers understand AI’s benefits and have the training to use new tools effectively.