City — Stroke continues to be a pressing global health issue affecting millions of people each year. As the world observes World Stroke Day on October 29th, the focus turns to how technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can potentially revolutionize stroke care.
According to a new release by World Economic Forum, innovations in the field have already made significant strides. These range from portable MRIs and brain stimulation for rehabilitation to new medications in development. One particularly promising innovation is minimally-invasive endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) surgery. However, the challenge remains that most people around the globe don’t have timely access to these life-saving treatments. In stroke care, time is of the essence; nearly 2 million neurons die every minute the brain lacks adequate blood flow.
AI has shown its capability in expediting care and saving lives. Companies like Viz.ai have developed software that analyzes brain scans in real-time and sends immediate alerts to the stroke care team via an app. This allows healthcare providers to make timely decisions on patient care. The AI algorithms are trained on diverse data sets to detect suspected diseases in real-time, from brain scans for stroke to electrocardiograms for cardiac issues.
In the United States, Viz.ai became the first to receive de novo approval from the FDA for a computer-aided triage and notification platform specifically designed for large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes. The software also received CE Mark for use in Europe in 2021. Currently, the Viz.ai network comprises 1,500 hospitals covering 220 million lives, with real-world clinical evidence showing that the technology can expedite treatment by up to 102 minutes.
As of February 2023, according to the American Heart Association guidelines, the use of AI in stroke care coordination has become the standard of care in the United States. Despite these advancements, studies indicate that black and low-income patients may be less likely to receive endovascular thrombectomy, emphasizing the importance of health equity in the rollout of AI in health systems.
Barriers such as limited infrastructure, healthcare workforce training and shortages, and inadequate healthcare financing still exist, particularly in developing countries. These factors lead to disparities in patient outcomes, including those in stroke care and recovery. Collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, policymakers, and advocacy groups aim to break these barriers. Initiatives by the World Economic Forum and partners, including the Global Health Equity Network (GHEN) and the Digital Healthcare Transformation initiative, are focused on equitable digital transformation in healthcare.
This World Stroke Day serves as a reminder that while AI offers immense promise in reducing deaths and disabilities due to stroke, the focus should be on ensuring equitable access to these advancements for everyone.