In Israel, Patients Are Monitored by a 'Super Nurse' Created by Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence can detect potential deterioration in condition earlier than nurses or doctors and predict which patients are at risk of readmission in the future.
Meet the 'super nurse'! She is capable of simultaneously monitoring the condition of many patients, controlling blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs, as well as recognizing signs of deterioration before the patient feels it themselves.

The medical superhero in question does not have a human face. It is a product of artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art algorithms, ultra-sensitive sensors, and cameras. Right now, it is being implemented in one of the largest medical centers in the country – Ichilov.

The emergence of the 'super nurse' with elements of artificial intelligence is the result of years of work by Ahava Weiss-Meilik and her colleagues from the I-Medata innovation center operating at the clinic. "Doctors and nurses simply cannot be physically present in all rooms and departments at the same time," says Weiss-Meilik. In this regard, one cannot help but think of Chinese hospitals, for which this problem is currently, in the midst of the COVID-19 virus epidemic, more relevant than ever. The situation is exacerbated by a chronic shortage of staff in clinics around the world, including Israel.

Currently, Ichilov is testing a new continuous monitoring technology involving more than two dozen patients from therapeutic departments. All of them have given their consent (Big Brother may be watching, but he has permission).
Sensors track blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory intensity of patients, while a camera continuously monitors them. The collected data is transmitted in real-time to a central station monitor, and in case of any changes in the patient's condition, the clinic staff receives a notification.
But monitoring is far from the only component of Weiss-Meilik's project; otherwise, it would not have attracted so much attention. I-Medata specialists are developing a series of predictive algorithms that, based on data from the camera and sensors, as well as information from the patient's electronic medical record and aggregate data, can determine what the medical strategy should be for a specific patient and whether they need special attention.

Artificial intelligence can detect potential deterioration in condition several hours earlier than medical staff. It can also predict the likelihood of readmission for a specific patient. "No doctor, regardless of their professionalism, can instantly create a clear picture of a patient's condition just by looking at the entire array of information," notes Weiss-Meilik. "In the future, diagnosis using artificial intelligence will become an integral part of hospitalization."

Analysis of Hospital Data

Ichilov Medical Center, whose emergency medical department with one and a half thousand beds is the largest in Israel, has an advantage in implementing such a big data processing system, as it has long been a leader in patient data collection in Israel. "We automated the processing of medical records data ten years ago. This has allowed us to conduct this type of research," says Weiss-Meilik.
Her team is currently working on creating an in-hospital ecosystem to inform and support medical staff. While the I-Medata center is developing artificial intelligence systems and algorithms on its own, it has engaged two local startups for the implementation of other components of the project.
One of them, AnyVision, which creates software for facial and object recognition, is responsible for the operation of the cameras. Typically, the clients of the company, which primarily operates in the field of security and surveillance, are law enforcement agencies, retail outlets, banks, and casinos. Collaboration with I-Medata is its first experience working with medical technologies. (Last summer, the company raised $74 million for its funding).

The second startup, BioBeat, headquartered in Petah Tikva, is responsible for the sensors. The company's specialists have developed a patch for monitoring key indicators such as blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse, skin temperature, and sweating.
"Doctors do not need to measure anything," assures the head of the company's medical division, Arik Eisenkraft. "All necessary indicators are promptly transmitted via wireless channels to the patient's electronic medical record and simultaneously to the startup's cloud, so it can use this data to enhance its functionalities.
The company received approval from the American Food and Drug Administration for its non-cuff blood pressure monitoring technology. The startup has also developed a wristwatch-like device for monitoring vital functions at home.

AI Technologies Will Make the Clinic 'Smarter'

The I-Medata team is simultaneously working on integrating other Israeli-developed artificial intelligence technologies into the workflow of the medical institution. Companies developing innovative solutions in medical imaging, Zebra Medical and Aidoc, are creating artificial intelligence systems that help radiologists detect problem areas on X-rays more quickly.
The company Agamon specializes in natural language processing to organize records in patients' medical charts, especially lists of surgical data and interpretations of radiological studies. The system transforms this information into a structured database. "To do the same 'manually' would require the labor of many employees," explains Weiss-Meilik. "Thanks to artificial intelligence, we can unlock access to data previously considered useless for conducting prospective studies."

The head of I-Medata, Dr. Roni Gamzu, assures that his center's work embodies the medicine of the future. "Even patients who are not connected to monitors because their condition does not require it sometimes catch us off guard, as their well-being suddenly begins to deteriorate," he says. "Medical staff need a system that helps them recognize ambiguous situations and make sense of large volumes of information."
"We are still at the very beginning of the journey," says Ahava Weiss-Meilik. "But as soon as we refine these technologies and bring them to market, we will be able to improve healthcare worldwide."

This would indeed be a 'super nurse'.