Mayo Clinic is helping develop AI-powered tools designed to expand access to hospital-level care in rural and underserved communities through a federally funded initiative aimed at bringing medical services closer to patients’ homes.
The Rochester, Minn.-based health system is participating in the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health’s Platform Accelerating Rural Access to Distributed and Integrated Medical Care, or PARADIGM, program. Mayo is a subawardee on the Platform for Medical Interoperability project, working with SRI International and the University of Florida to create intelligent task-guidance systems that support healthcare workers performing certain clinical procedures and using medical devices.
As part of the effort, Mayo is developing AI-powered tools intended to help clinicians safely perform procedures in settings where specialists may not be readily available, according to a June 12 news release.
One focus of the project is expanding access to routine phlebotomy services, including blood draws and IV placement, for patients in rural communities who may otherwise travel long distances for care.
Under the model being developed, healthcare workers in mobile care units could use AI-assisted technology trained on expert techniques to perform blood draws. The system uses imaging and computer vision technology to identify suitable veins, visually indicate needle placement locations and provide step-by-step procedural guidance.
During the program’s first year, Mayo recorded 300 blood draws and used advanced imaging technologies to train AI systems to assist with tasks such as vein selection and procedural technique, according to the news release.
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