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Brandon Keys, BS, RVS

Transforming and Standardizing Aortic Aneurysm Care with AI: A Cardio Technologist’s Perspective

Abdominal Aortic Measurements, Aortic Aneurysm, Care Coordination
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Clinical AI is revolutionizing healthcare, offering new ways to enhance and standardize patient care. In aortic aneurysm (AA) management, AI has the potential to be a major game-changer, bringing consistency and precision to a field historically plagued by variability. As a vascular technologist, I’ve seen firsthand how AI can reshape AA care and standardize pathways in unprecedented ways.

The Role of AI in Standardizing Aortic Aneurysm Care Through Measurements

One of the most significant contributions of AI in AA care is its capability to standardize measurements. Traditionally, the measurement of aortic diameters widely varied among radiologists and other specialists, leading to inconsistencies in diagnosis and treatment decisions. AI can remove this variability by ensuring that the same methodology is used to measure the aorta, every time.The prospect of consistency is crucial, especially in critical measurements that can determine patient care pathways and, subsequently, outcomes.

AI leverages vast amounts of data to create consistent and accurate measurements, supporting long-term research and improving treatment protocols. With AI, the debate over measurement methods – whether axial or orthogonal, inside-to-inside or outside-to-outside – becomes less critical than ensuring uniformity across all evaluations.

Enhancing Data Collection and Research

AI’s ability to process and analyze large datasets can enable the collection of comprehensive data points from every patient scan. This wealth of information facilitates more robust research and the development of new treatment standards. We currently rely on “normals” that were established decades ago, but AI allows us to collect more data, which in turn can drive new procedures and standards in the long run.

By capturing detailed, consistent measurements and identifying incidental aneurysms that might be overlooked, AI can aid in confirming more AA cases, helping ensure they are managed appropriately, whether it’s through follow-up and monitoring or, if necessary, intervention.

Addressing Incidental Findings

AA’s are often discovered incidentally during scans carried out for other acute reasons. However, these incidental findings can be easily missed if not measured and noted accurately. AI could ensure that every scan is meticulously analyzed, capturing aneurysms early and enabling proactive care management and preventing them from reaching the point of needing urgent intervention.

Standardizing Care Pathways

Long-term, the data collected through AI could help establish new standardized care pathways for AA patients. Currently, treatment decisions for AA patients are based on two things: thresholds and judgment calls. But with AI, these decisions can be better informed by a wealth of data. The more data we have, the better standards we can develop for caring for patients. This standardization can transform AA care, ensuring consistent and optimal treatment for all patients.

The Importance of Follow-Up

The cruciality of consistent care and follow-up management for AA’s cannot be understated. AI-driven care coordination and patient management systems can ensure that critical information is communicated to the appropriate care teams. These systems can prevent patients from being lost to follow-up and ensure timely interventions. AI can track patient progress and flag any significant changes that may require immediate attention, thus improving outcomes and further reducing the risk of complications.

A finding means nothing if you don’t have a comprehensive plan built around it. That’s what PatMan does; it captures documented aneurysms (usually as incidental findings), automates patient lists, connects care teams and streamlines communications. This single workflow streamlines the process to transform something otherwise cumbersome and manual into something easy. This reduces patient leakage while ensuring consistent follow up while facilitating timely interventions when needed.

Revolutionizing Through Standardization

AI is poised to revolutionize AA care by standardizing measurements, enhancing data collection and establishing consistent care pathways. As a vascular technologist, I can see the immense impact AI is already having, and will continue to have, in transforming healthcare delivery. As we embrace these advancements, we move closer to a future where AA’s are detected early, managed effectively and treated consistently, improving patient outcomes and, in some instances, even saving lives.

Click here to learn more about the tangible impact of clinical AI in cardiovascular care.

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Brandon Keys, BS, RVS

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