Allina Health’s Mike Koroscik on Revolutionizing Early Cancer Detection Through Technology

Through the integration of a population health reimbursement model in 2020, Allina Health Cancer Institute, in Minnesota, was able to implement expanded screening initiatives through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine, thereby precipitating earlier cancer detection and improving patient outcomes.

At the recent Association of Community Cancer Centers 40th National Oncology Conference, Mike Koroscik, MBA, MHA, vice president of oncology, Allina Health and the Allina Health Cancer Institute, discussed these noteworthy developments and challenges the comprehensive cancer center encountered, such as ensuring a return on investment (ROI).

Transcipt

How have AI and precision medicine been utilized to improve early cancer detection and patient outcomes?

I'm excited about artificial intelligence in helping us in oncology. The future is finally here. For example, in radiology, we have AI now looking at overreads and reading the scans and just tapping the shoulder on the radiologist and saying, “We saw something, just look some more.” That has caught some undetected lung cancer, but also moving to breast cancer and other pieces. Also, the ability of AI to go into the medical record and go way upstream to find screening opportunities, but also to help us, for example, in lung cancer, to do all the reminders and make sure that patients are not falling through the cracks. This and in many other ways, too, artificial intelligence, or AI, is truly transforming early health, early cancer care detection, and surveillance.

How has Allina Health overcome challenges to implementing expanded screening technologies and strategies?

In any new technology, we have to show the ROI. I want it to complement what we currently have, and it can be able that it actually grows and addresses patient care. You know, in these tough economic times, with all these headwinds, too, you have to have a stronger return on investment. For us, as we move from volume to value and really enhancing our population health imperatives, a lot of this new technology has taken us there. From AI-driven technology to the way we utilize data, from a population health perspective, we have to ensure that all stakeholders are involved. Also, that the patient is always in the room during these discussions, too. Let our stakeholders be the physicians, nursing, administration, and all aspects of the health system, saying this is why we need this and really addressing that why early on.