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Ochsner Health Adopts New AI Technology to Save Lives in Real-time

Powered by Cloud and AI technology from Epic and Microsoft, the new early warning system is one of the first in the country to use AI for patient care

Ochsner Health Adopts New AI Technology to Save Lives in Real-time

NEW ORLEANS – Today, Ochsner Health announced it launched new artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help treat patients more proactively. As one of the first systems in the country to integrate AI into patient care workflows, the new capabilities deliver rich patient insights to Ochsner care teams in real time, using machine learning for clinical data to detect patients’ potential adverse health events more quickly and accurately. Cloud and AI technologies from Epic and Microsoft power the platform, augmenting existing early warning alerts with the goal to eliminate adverse events in advance of a potential event.

Technology is transforming every corner of the healthcare industry, including the way clinicians monitor patients. Preventing potential downturns is key. With Epic’s machine learning platform and Microsoft Azure, Ochsner is focused on doing just that – preventing patient deterioration. Deploying a predictive model via Epic powered by Microsoft Azure has enabled Ochsner’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) to intervene on patients proactively, rather than reactively, in real-time. During the 90-day pilot, the team successfully reduced adverse events outside of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by 44 percent.

“At Ochsner, patients are at the center of everything we do,” said Laura Wilt, System Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Ochsner Health System. “By utilizing Epic’s machine learning platform and Microsoft Azure, we can detect health patterns, learn from these insights and develop a more aggressive treatment plan as a preventative measure. It is about delivering a higher quality of care to change and save more lives.”

Epic’s machine learning platform enables health systems of all sizes to get the most of machine learning with real-time information embedded directly into clinician workflows and scaled across their organizations.

“Leveraging our machine learning platform and Azure, Epic’s team of data scientists, clinicians, and engineers are delivering important insights to Ochsner where it matters most – directly into workflows,” said Seth Hain, Director of Analytics and Machine Learning, Epic. “Whether it is saving lives through early detection of adverse events, saving money through accurate staffing models, or simply summarizing key aspects of a patient’s chart, Epic’s machine learning platform allows organizations to focus on outcomes, rather than administration. We’re proud to see Ochsner lead the way with the first implementation and look forward to others in the Epic community taking advantage of this functionality now available to all customers.”

With successful implementation, Ochsner will begin implementing Epic’s machine learning platform powered by Azure to improve other clinical specialties and reduce care challenges like pressure ulcers and hospital acquired infections. The health system sees these AI-powered capabilities core to how it will treat people in the future, representing its commitment to staying on the cutting edge of innovative, technology-empowered care for patients.

“Cloud and AI technologies are helping health organizations around the world deliver better outcomes for patients,” said Joseph Sirosh, corporate vice president, Cloud AI Platform at Microsoft. “Microsoft Azure and AI technologies, working together with Epic, help deliver more proactive, precise care. We’re thrilled to work with Epic and Ochsner to make the health system a unique place to receive care.”

Azure is a cloud platform and set of intelligent services helping health organizations improve care, reduce costs and streamline operations. Health organizations using Azure benefit from Microsoft’s significant investments in security, privacy and regulatory compliance, including the ability to deploy HIPAA- and HITRUST-ready technologies.

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 30 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and more than 80 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across four specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 60 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs more than 18,000 employees and over 1,200 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties, and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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