Intermountain Healthcare is the first health system in Utah to use a new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool designed to aid doctors in detecting colorectal polyps automatically in real time during a colonoscopy – enabling them to improve colon polyp detection, remove pre-cancerous colon polyps early, and save more lives.
This new technology, named GI Genius, is being implemented at four Intermountain hospitals: Intermountain Cedar City Hospital, Intermountain Fillmore Hospital, Intermountain Delta Community Hospital, and Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital.
Intermountain and Medtronic, the distributor of the GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module, are bringing GI Genius and training to rural communities in Utah thanks to the Health Equity Assistance Program partnership between Medtronic, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Amazon Web Services.
“We are extremely fortunate to be among the first hospitals in Utah to have this advanced screening capability,” said Eric Packer, administrator at Intermountain Cedar City Hospital. “The best part is knowing our patients will now benefit from this important cancer screening advancement. This is another example of how we are striving to serve our community with the latest in healthcare technology.”
The AI in the GI Genius module is trained on over 13 million images of polyps of all sizes, shapes and morphologies. In clinical trials, physicians have increased detection of lesions by up to 46% when compared to standard, non-AI colonoscopy.
“By offering this cutting-edge, high-definition technology to our rural Utah communities, we have the potential to detect more colorectal polyps and potentially prevent cancer,” said Nathan A. Merriman, MD, medical director of gastroenterology and digestive health at Intermountain Healthcare. “I see AI in GI as a great potential teammate in colorectal polyp detection for all of us performing colonoscopies.”
As part of the Medtronic Health Equity Program for colon cancer screening in underserved communities, Medtronic is placing 133 GI Genius units at 62 facilities across the country.
“We are committed to helping reduce inequities and ensuring access to life-transforming therapies with the utilization of AI technology,” said Giovanni Di Napoli, president of the gastrointestinal business, which is part of the Medical Surgical Portfolio at Medtronic. “We have seen the impact AI-assisted colonoscopies can have, and I’m excited to see how our technology and collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare can help physicians better detect polyps during colonoscopies among these four rural communities in Utah.”
The American Cancer Society, three national GI Societies, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force all recommend the screening age for patients at average risk for colorectal cancer change from 50 to 45 years old.
In the United States, colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cause of cancer-related death for men and women. Every day, about 300 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colon cancer and an estimated 50,000 people will die from colorectal cancer every year.
“That’s what makes this program so important. We know that missing colorectal polyps could potentially increase the risk of interval colon cancers that occur prior to the next routine exam. This technology has the potential to help us reduce the chance that we miss a precancerous polyp during a colonoscopy. By improving our ability to see and remove more of these polyps, we create more positive impact with greater colon cancer prevention for patients and their families,” said Dr. Merriman.
Installation of the GI Genius units, trainings, and ribbon cuttings at all four hospitals will happen in the next few weeks. Patients undergoing a screening colonoscopy in these four hospitals may be screened with the AI tool at their doctor’s discretion, and at no additional cost.
For more information on colonoscopies, or to find a physician visit www.Intermountainhealthcare.com/cancer or go here.
– Intermountain Healthcare
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About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers in seven states, a health plans division called SelectHealth with more than one million members, and other health services.
Intermountain is committed to helping people live the healthiest lives possible by improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.