Mount Sinai Health System was recently honored with the 2024 Hearst Health Prize for its innovative machine learning application, NutriScan AI, that facilitates faster identification and treatment of malnutrition in hospitalized patients. The award, which includes a $100,000 prize, was presented during UCLA Health Data Day on June 4.
NutriScan AI addresses the prevalent issue of malnutrition in hospitals, a condition that often goes undiagnosed and can lead to increased mortality, morbidity, complications, and extended hospital stays. While early identification and treatment can prevent or reverse malnutrition, traditional screening tools often lack accuracy, leading to missed interventions. To tackle this problem, Mount Sinai Health System formed a clinical data science team to develop a more effective malnutrition screening tool that integrates within the electronic health record system. This new screening tool runs off a machine learning model that has demonstrated superior performance compared to standard rule-based models.
Since being implemented at six different hospitals, NutriScan AI has led to better utilization of registered dietician resources, a sustained increase in malnutrition diagnosis rates, and a consistent financial return on investment. The system’s success has made Mount Sinai Health System approximately 2.5 to 3 times more likely to identify malnutrition, contributing to increased hospital reimbursements and improved quality ratings based on observed-to-expected outcomes.
The Hearst Health Prize validates Mount Sinai Health System’s efforts and provides a platform to share their learnings. This recognition is intended to inspire further advancements in other areas of care through the use of artificial intelligence.
The Hearst Health Prize program is operated in partnership with the UCLA Center for SMART Health, which focuses on integrating digital and data-driven healthcare technologies to transform future biomedical research and clinical care. The Prize aims to recognize and support data science programs that make a substantial impact in healthcare.
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Visit the Hearst website to view the full press release.