Pictured above – Pathologists Dr. Meiklejohn McKenzie and Dr. Jason Nolan (standing) reviewing a biopsy with new AI platform.
Move benefits both clinicians and patients
Pathologists at Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC) have become the second group in the state to fully transition to a digital pathology platform. The transition “paves the way for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in securely reading pathology reports for breast and prostate,” according to a release from CRMC. The milestone also “marks a significant advancement in CRMC’ s diagnostic capabilities and efficiency.”
The hospital states that by adopting AI algorithms developed by Ibex, the first of its kind in the country, the accuracy and speed of pathology diagnostics will improve. Ibex is an AI- powered system with “organ- specific algorithms, initially focused on prostate and breast pathology.”
“These algorithms aid in pattern validation and scoring, enabling pathologists to analyze biopsy samples with greater precision,” according to CRMC. Notably, the AI can process a 12- part prostate biopsy in just 10 minutes—drastically reducing the analysis time from the traditional 45- minute manual review. The transition to a fully digital system is a game changer, according to those who use the tool.
“Our transition to a fully digital pathology platform is a game- changer for both our medical staff and our patients,” said Dr. Jason Nolan, pathologist at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. “The integration of AI allows us to provide faster, more accurate diagnoses, ensuring patients receive timely and effective treatment. Our pathologists are still reading and studying all the cases, as before, but we now have technology that assists us in those readings, increasing accuracy to 99%. My partner, Dr. Meiklejohn McKenzie, played a crucial role in bringing this technology to our area. This is a transformative step in pathology, and our pathology group is proud to be at the forefront of this innovation.”
The move benefits both clinicians and patients.
“The use of AI will continue to grow in healthcare. Generative AI will not replace humans, but it will assist them and improve accuracy like never before,” said Buffy Key, CEO at CRMC. “In healthcare, pathology and radiology are where we see the most significant growth in generative AI providing an even greater level of accuracy. We are excited for the pathologists to lead the way in implementing AI for our patients.
Photo courtesy of CRMC.
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