Photo: Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Health System has begun implementing a cloud-native platform that will integrate global cancer insights and use artificial intelligence to streamline pathology processes.
It's working with the genomic technology firm Sophia Genetics, which announced the new collaboration on Thursday at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in San Diego.
WHY IT MATTERS
Mount Sinai, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, supports care for more than 4,000 oncology patients annually.
The Sophia DDM platform analyzes complex genomic and multimodal data like a multilayered AI pipeline. It offers Mount Sinai faster cancer testing results, greater efficiency and "deeper genomic understanding to help shape the future of precision oncology," John Carey, Sophia Genetics managing director of North America, said in a statement.
With AI-powered analytics, Mount Sinai's molecular pathology teams can tap into an intelligence network of 800 global institutions through the decentralized architecture and interpret genomic variants based on data patterns seen across the world.
The health system said it is reducing bottlenecks in pathology workflows and, thus, improving patient care.
It "has enabled us to reduce hands-on analysis time and improve our testing turnaround times, enabling our clinicians to provide better patient care," Jane Houldsworth, director of molecular oncology pathology at Mount Sinai, said in the announcement.
THE LARGER TREND
Pathology workforce shortages long cited by The College of American Pathologists can impact cancer patient care, leaving health systems to look for ways to ease workflow burdens and improve testing turnaround times.
In a survey two years ago of more than 400 lab professionals, 39% said that staffing shortages were a significant obstacle to maintaining high standards of care.
But AI and automation can offer relief for overburdened lab workers, and providers are increasing the use of it to analyze data as well as improve precision medicine.
"With digital pathology becoming more common, we will start seeing AI-powered digital pathology, which will allow for faster results in biomarker identification, enabling personalized treatment to begin the same day of diagnosis, rather than waiting weeks for genetic sequencing, which is the current norm," Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, chief innovation, transformation and AI officer at Israel's Sheba Medical Center, told Healthcare IT News last year.
ON THE RECORD
"Mount Sinai is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading centers for cancer research and was recently ranked No. 1 globally among health care institutions in the Nature AI Index, underscoring its leadership in [AI] and data-driven innovation," Carey said in a statement.
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.
