AI Med Pulse
Colorado AI Regulation,LLMs in the Emergency Dept, Suki AI Scribe Deal
Colorado Blazes Trail in AI Regulation
Colorado is pioneering the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) with a new law signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. This landmark legislation aims to enhance accountability and transparency in AI, especially in areas like patient care, sparking diverse reactions.
Proponents like the Consumers Union view the law as essential for ensuring AI-driven decisions are fair and transparent. In contrast, the free-market-oriented R Street Institute warns it could lead to excessive regulation nationwide. Gov. Polis, while supportive of the law’s intent to prevent discrimination and protect consumers, expressed concerns about its potential impact on technological advancement. He hopes for legislative refinements before the law takes effect in 2026.
What’s in the Law?
Strengthens consumer protections for AI-driven healthcare decisions.
Mandates developers to address algorithmic biases.
Requires disclosures for high-risk AI systems.
Includes carve-outs for technology meeting Department of Health and Human Services standards.
The Debate
Tech industry advocates fear a fragmented regulatory landscape, urging federal oversight instead. Consumer advocates worry about AI's potential to harm patients through biased or erroneous diagnostics, pushing for stricter regulations.
Stay tuned as Colorado sets a precedent in the complex balance between innovation and regulation.
New Study: LLM Assesses Emergency Department Acuity with High Accuracy
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open explores the potential of large language models (LLMs) to assess clinical acuity in emergency departments (EDs). Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, investigated whether an LLM could match or exceed the accuracy of human physicians in determining patient acuity levels based on the Emergency Severity Index (ESI).
Key Findings
High Accuracy: The LLM demonstrated an 89% accuracy rate in identifying higher-acuity patients among 10,000 pairs, comparable to human physicians' performance in a 500-pair subsample.
Clinical Relevance: This accuracy was achieved using only the clinical history from the patients’ first ED documentation, omitting physical examination findings and vital signs.
Potential for Integration: These results suggest that LLMs could enhance ED triage processes, maintaining quality while streamlining operations.
Implications
The study indicates that incorporating LLMs into ED workflows could improve the efficiency and accuracy of triage, particularly in distinguishing higher-severity cases. However, the authors call for further investigation to optimize and validate LLM performance across diverse clinical settings.
Suki Clinches AI Scribe Deal with Premier, Inc.
Suki, a pioneer in voice AI technology for healthcare, has secured a national group purchasing agreement for AI scribes with Premier, Inc. This agreement, effective May 1, 2024, offers over 4,350 Premier member hospitals and health systems access to Suki’s AI assistant at special rates.
How Suki Helps
Suki Assistant: Uses generative AI to draft clinical notes by listening to patient-clinician conversations.
Efficiency Boost: Cuts documentation time by 72%, supports ICD-10 and HCC coding, answers questions, and handles dictation.
EHR Integration: Syncs with Epic, Cerner, Meditech, and Athena, ensuring seamless documentation workflows.
ROI: Delivers up to 9X ROI through increased efficiency, higher reimbursements, and greater encounter volumes.
Why It Matters
Heather Miller, VP of Partnerships at Suki, highlighted the synergy between Premier’s mission to improve community health and Suki’s goal to streamline healthcare technology, allowing clinicians to focus more on patient care. Premier, a major healthcare improvement company, selected Suki based on its quality, value, and support capabilities.
Broad Impact
Suki is utilized across 30+ specialties in various settings, including ambulatory, telehealth, and inpatient. This partnership underscores Suki’s leadership in the AI assistant space, which is backed by high ratings and numerous collaborations.