Collaboration transforms recommendations follow-up by boosting patient engagement and clinician productivity Results in improved conformance to Fleischner Society Guidelines by 20%, and increased staff efficiency by 95% through Inflo Health's AI and automation
ATLANTA, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Inflo Health, a leader in AI-driven radiology follow-up care orchestration, today announced that it has qualified for the American College of Radiology's (ACR) Learning Network Vendor Partner designation on the heels of a successful collaboration that saw East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) significantly improve recommendations follow-up rates. Through the partnership, EAMC achieved dramatic improvements in patient safety by better identifying opportunities for imaging follow-up—and completing those follow-ups.
The collaboration was two-pronged: EAMC participated in the Recommendations Follow-up improvement collaborative of ACR's ImPower program, while simultaneously implementing Inflo Health's software to execute on the measure specifications outlined by the collaborative. The goal was to improve the consistent inclusion of actionable and appropriate follow-up recommendations for incidentally detected pulmonary nodules and improve the percentage of exams that receive timely follow-up. Using Inflo Health's radiology-trained AI, which was integrated into existing workflows, EAMC increased completion rates for recommended lung nodule follow-ups by 74%, supported a 20% improvement in adherence to Fleischner Society Guidelines, and increased staff efficiency by 95%, while reducing risk for patients and the organization.
Based on Inflo's participation in ImPower in partnership with EAMC and their incorporation of the Recommendations Follow-up collaborative measure specifications into the solution's AI models, Inflo Health qualified for ACR's Learning Network Vendor Partner status.
"We are not only excited to continue this collaboration but are also thrilled that Inflo Health is now recognized as an ACR Learning Network Vendor Partner," says Chris Clark, vice president of Clinical Services at East Alabama Medical Center. "Now, radiologists and clinical teams across the country will benefit from the best practices we developed together."
The collaboration between EAMC, Inflo Health, and the ACR Learning Network began with data collection, using Inflo Health's AI language models and advanced NLP to extract and present relevant data from EAMC's radiology reports. In parallel, the AI findings were jointly validated by EAMC and Inflo, leading to improved accuracy of Inflo's insights and recommendations. This work helped the team gain consensus around the problem they were trying to solve, provided opportunities for collaboration between team members and ultimately accelerated patient quality and adherence to recommended follow ups.
EAMC then implemented Inflo's appropriateness measures, automating the process of identifying incidental lung nodules that met the inclusion criteria. This reduced the time required from five hours per week—a task usually undertaken by staff manually poring over radiology reports—to just 15 minutes, representing a 95% efficiency improvement.
To improve the completion of recommended imaging follow-ups, EAMC worked to address barriers, including inconsistent communication between acute care and primary care. By involving PCPs in the process and dedicating resources to managing follow-ups, they increased completion rates by 74%—from 39% to 68%. This joint approach not only enhanced patient outcomes but also generated an estimated $9,000 per month in additional revenue, opening the door to funding additional quality improvement and patient safety goals.
"Leveraging technology to standardize and optimize clinical workflows requires the concerted efforts of organizations and their software vendors working in tandem, so that the solution is built by understanding the problem" says Judy Burleson, Vice President of Quality Management Programs at the American College of Radiology. "The quality improvement education and support provided by the ImPower program, coupled with EAMC's commitment to improve patient outcomes, and Inflo Health's willingness to adapt their product, made these advancements possible."
"Inflo Health's collaboration with East Alabama Medical Center and the ACR Learning Network has dramatically enhanced our approach to lung nodule management and radiology follow-up," said Melinda Johnson, Radiology director at EAMC. "The technology introduced by Inflo Health has significantly streamlined our processes, reduced manual effort and boosted staff efficiency. This has also enabled us to expand care navigator roles to other clinical areas. This partnership exemplifies how integrating advanced technology with strategic collaboration can set new standards in radiology practices and operational excellence."
"Our mission is to help health systems never miss a follow-up. That's why we are humbled by the opportunity to work with two visionary organizations and leverage the power of our follow-up identification and care orchestration platform to help save patients' lives," says Angela Adams, CEO of Inflo Health. "We are equally humbled by the opportunity to continue collaborating with ACR Learning Network organizations, united by the shared goal of providing optimal care for patients."
As Inflo Health advances its relationship with EAMC and the ACR Learning Network, institutions and radiology groups can explore the full collaboration details and learn how to enhance their radiology practices by attending our upcoming webinar. Visit https://inflohealth.com/ for more information.
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SOURCE Inflo Health
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