New AI technology enhances stroke care at CKHA

The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has started using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help diagnose and treat patients with stroke-like symptoms.

CKHA said so far it’s for stroke care only, adding the RAPID AI advanced software quickly analyzes brain scans and helps doctors make faster, more accurate treatment decisions.

RAPID AI provides an automated “ASPECTS score” that helps physicians understand how much of the brain may have been affected by a stroke, according to CKHA, and helps guide treatment decisions to determine if a patient is a good candidate for certain life-saving procedures, such as removing a blood clot from the brain.

“Time is absolutely critical when treating stroke,” said CKHA Chief of Radiology Dr. Stacey Speer. “RAPID AI gives our team fast, reliable information. It highlights areas of the brain that are in trouble and shows whether blood flow is being blocked. That allows us to make quicker, more confident decisions about how to treat our patients.”

The RAPID AI was funded by the CKHA Foundation.

“This is exactly the kind of impact our donors hope to make,” said CKHA Foundation President and CEO Christine Mitchell. “We’re thrilled to fund the implementation of this AI technology. It’s improving patient care in a very real, immediate way and helping our hospital stay at the forefront of stroke care.”