From new procedures to evolving uses of artificial intelligence, here are seven notes on gastroenterological technology that ASCs and providers should monitor over the next five years:
Artificial intelligence
1. GI Alliance has partnered with Ambience Healthcare to build a suite of artificial intelligence documentation tools, specifically for gastroenterology to allow an 83% reduction in new patient documentation time.
2. St. Petersburg-based Florida Digestive Health Specialists added ambulatory cloud EHR eClinicalWorks' AI tools and virtual scribe Sunoh.ai to assist with patient information charting and streamlined workflows.
3. Artificial intelligence can also be used in the diagnosis process, with a trial conducted by three Italian research centers and published in the journal Gastroenterology finding that computer-aided polyp detection increases adenoma detection rates over high-definition colonoscopy alone.
Evolving procedures
4. Orlando, Fla.-based AdventHealth Center for Interventional Endoscopy gastroenterologist Kambiz Kadkhodayan, MD, performed the world's first "Candy Cane" endoscopic procedure in September on an emergency room nurse.
The procedure removes a problematic portion of the patient's small bowel using a repurposed endoscopic device and then creates a channel for food, all without needing traditional surgery by using an endoscope and other FDA-approved devices.
5. United Digestive physician Daniel Mullady, MD, a gastroenterology and interventional endoscopy specialist at the Center for Digestive and Liver Health in Savannah, Ga., completed the first peroral endoscopic myotomy in the area in October.
The minimally invasive procedure is used to treat esophageal motility disorders, particularly achalasia, with comparable results to surgery.
New tech partnerships to know
6. West Long Branch, N.J.-based gastroenterology group Allied Digestive Health partnered with Provation, a software company that focuses on clinical productivity and workflow automation and allows physicians and nurses to document patient visits and procedures across any internet-enabled device in their practice.
7. The gastroenterology group also recently partnered with medical data intelligence platform Lynx.MD, which uses AI and privacy technology to pull information from healthcare datasets to enhance gastroenterology data resources, including imaging, video and lab data.