Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1496781
21 GASTROENTEROLOGY Intermountain physician weighs in on the future of colon polyp detection By Riz Hatton A s artificial intelligence becomes more common in gastroenterology, industry leaders are hopeful about its potential for polyp detection during colonoscopies. Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health is using Medtronic's AI-assisted polyp detection device, GI Genius. It is the first health system in Utah to use the technology. Nathan Merriman, MD, medical director of gastroenterology and digestive health at Intermountain Health recently connected with Becker's to discuss the potential for AI- assisted polyp detection. Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: How has utilizing AI-assisted polyp detection affected screening? Dr. Nathan Merriman: We are starting to see an increased awareness of the value potential of AI in colon polyp detection that is spreading across our communities. ere have been several patients we have heard who have requested a colonoscopy with the new technology. As our patients and our providers start to hear more about the increase in colon polyps we are seeing with this new technology, I suspect there will be more requests for colonoscopy exams with this new AI teammate in colon polyp detection. Q: What do you hope to gain from using this technology? NM: I hope we continue to find more precancerous colon polyps that we can remove to continue to decrease the likelihood of colon cancer for our patients. e impact measures we will be following are adenoma detection rate and sessile serrated lesion rate since these are the two colon polyp types that are thought to be at risk for progressing to colorectal cancer. I suspect the analytics and accuracy with the endoscopy AI technology will continue to improve over time and the use cases for AI in GI will continue to expand. Q: Do you see this technology becoming more commonplace in the next 2 years? NM: Yes, I see this technology becoming increasingly used more broadly nationally, especially as more competitors enter the market over the next two years. I believe this will result in collaborative competition where there will be a focus on continuous improvement in product updates across companies in this space. I am looking forward to seeing the rapid evolution of AI in GI that will help endoscopists and patients. n Northwell opens $1.5M practice with gastroenterology By Claire Wallace N ew Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health has opened a $1.5 million practice in Smithtown, N.Y., that will house gastroenterology, internal medicine, rheumatology, cardiology, oncology and dermatology. The 4,000-square-foot space will include 10 exam rooms. Three internal medicine specialists, Claude Bridges, MD, Berta Kadosh, DO, and Deborah Weiss, MD, will staff the facility. "Northwell is extremely excited to open this beautiful destination practice," Joseph Baglio, senior vice president of Eastern region ambulatory services at Northwell Health, said in a Feb. 7 press release. "This location is another demonstration of Northwell's commitment to integrated, multidisciplinary, care within the communities we serve." n ASCs should prepare for a drop in this procedure's volume By Patsy Newitt A s gastroenterology technology develops, some healthcare leaders are concerned about how the updates will affect procedure volume. Michael Owens, MD, a gastroenterologist in Portland, Ore., recently spoke with Becker's about a healthcare trend he's monitoring. Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for brevity and clarity. Dr. Michael Owens: 2023 will show us updated results from molecular stool tests whose sensitivity for advanced adenoma are approaching 60 percent. When we consider how advanced adenomas are defined, the biological tests may be a much better predictor of risk than the number of small polyps found. This should lead to altered surveillance guidelines which support the discontinuation of colonoscopy for many low/no risk patients once cost effectiveness and performance characteristics are updated. It's likely that most practices will not immediately switch to stool testing. However, the control of testing rests in the hands of primary care providers who will be contacted by patients that have received direct-to-consumer marketing and hope to avoid another colonoscopy. Practices should prepare for this drop in their ASC volume. n