Google Cloud’s AI to Assist Hackensack Meridian With Screenings

Oct. 29, 2021

New Jersey health systems says AI and machine learning assistance could improve accuracy, efficiency of screening processes

David Raths

New Jersey-based Hackensack Meridian Health is partnering with Google Cloud to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in clinical areas, such as screening and detection.

Google Cloud and Hackensack Meridian are working together to deploy Google Cloud’s AI/ML offerings to aid physicians and care teams to assist in screening and disease detection, such as:

• Newborn Screenings – Hackensack Meridian Health is looking at ways to leverage AI/ML technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to put results in the provider’s hand as soon as possible. This initiative allows providers to receive automatic notification of test results and expedite access to review the newborn patient’s screening results and medical information.

• Mammography Screenings – The integrated health system is looking to improve the accuracy of mammogram readings using AI to conduct secondary screenings, potentially catching issues undetected by a provider and improving overall quality.

• Prostate Cancer Screenings – Hackensack Meridian Health is using AI/ML technologies to pinpoint and understand specific factors that influence variance in patient outcomes. AI/ML models can be built to predict patient outcomes and provide potential treatment paths.

• Sepsis Detection – Diagnosing a septic infection can be difficult, which is why Hackensack Meridian is looking to utilize AI/ML technologies to analyze patients’ medical data and predict risk of infection in real-time.

COVID-19 Detection – The health system is looking at ways to use NLP, an AI technology, to analyze the clinical notes of patients with COVID-19 to better understand COVID-19 signs and symptoms, and how the disease progresses in patients.

“Google Cloud’s AI and ML technologies are a new frontier in medicine,” said Daniel Varga, M.D., chief physician executive, Hackensack Meridian Health, in a statement. “Together, we will improve patient care, treatment precision and clinical outcomes of diseases, while increasing efficiencies that can help physicians devote more time to life-saving research and patient care.”

Hackensack Meridian Health also said that it recently migrated to Google Workspace and will be one of the first health systems to use Chrome OS devices across clinical and business environments.

The hospital system chose to deploy a combination of Google Workspace and Chrome OS’ Chrome Enterprise — which includes Chrome browser and Chrome OS devices such as Chromebooks and Chromeboxes — for an integrated experience across clinical and operational settings. The health system said this move allowed employees to work remotely as it deployed 3,000 Chromebooks with Citrix, enabling secure access to core healthcare applications.