Emergency department nurses and patients at Adventist HealthCare hospitals are getting extra support and a second opinion during the triage process with the help of artificial intelligence.
The software, KATE AI, is helping care teams ensure the safety and consistency of triage at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center and Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center. Emergency teams at the hospitals are using KATE AI to help verify care plans for patients who are at higher risk or have more complex conditions.
The AI tool complements the training and expertise of emergency nurses, supporting and validating their decision-making skills. The technology analyzes a patient’s symptoms against deidentified, historical medical records data and immediately provides information about the appropriate level of care. KATE AI uniquely assists care teams with triage, improving recognition of conditions like sepsis, heart attack, heart failure, preeclampsia, and 100 other high-risk presentations, while the caregiver remains the ultimate decision maker.
The hospitals find KATE AI has many benefits for care teams and patients. The tool helps increase the accuracy of ED triage and ensures patients receive the right hospital services from the right care teams at the right time. This enhanced clinical efficiency can help reduce emergency wait times, time to admit or discharge decision, and the days patients might spend in the hospital if they are admitted.
The technology also helps ensure greater health equity by identifying and eliminating systemic biases in triage, including those based on race, age, and gender. Last year, the Maryland Patient Safety Center recognized Adventist HealthCare emergency teams for their efforts to identify and reduce biases in care.
Adventist HealthCare’s hospitals are the first in Maryland to use KATE AI. A year ago, when Shady Grove Medical Center implemented the tool, care teams were cautious about adding AI to their processes, says Seleem Choudhury, the hospital’s chief operating officer. Nurses were concerned another step would slow them down, he said, but the AI tool has won them over.
“Time matters in the emergency department. Our team appreciates how this technology is supporting their clinical skills, advancing our patient safety efforts, and creating a smoother experience for our emergency patients.”
“We’re excited that Adventist HealthCare has selected KATE AI to help address the tremendous challenges facing emergency care today,” said Steven Reilly, chief executive officer at Mednition. “Their system-wide expansion of KATE AI reflects a deep commitment to use innovation to support their exceptional nursing teams in improving clinical, operational, and financial outcomes.”