Algorithms to help Hospital Sisters cut wasteful use of surgical services
The Midwestern Catholic health system Hospital Sisters is working with an AI startup to block overutilization of surgical services.
Salt Lake City-based Empiric Health, which was formed in 2017 by Intermountain Healthcare with Oxeon Partners, announced the development June 1, saying its product was developed by physicians to compare patient groups on outcomes and other clinical and cost metrics.
Hospital Sisters Health System, which serves communities across Illinois and Wisconsin, will use the software to foster communications among surgeons who will work to identify telling clinical variations.
Empiric says the software uses AI and natural language processing to mine data from physician notes that are relevant to making measurable comparisons.
The health system’s chief physician executive, Rich Cooley, DO, says the company is already engaging Hospital Sisters’ surgeons “in a way we have not seen before” in its efforts to optimize outcomes while cutting out-of-pocket costs for patients.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.