Photo courtesy of Peninsula Health
Peninsula Health, the public health provider for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, is advancing its digital transformation by automating cancer detection and enabling more personalised care.
Non-AI cancer detection
Its Gastroenterology Unit has introduced a digital pathway that automates cancer detection in endoscopy or biopsy results.
Once a patient's histopathology results are matched with their endoscopy report, the tool called Post Endoscopy Pathway scans these reports using keyword searches. If a potential malignancy is detected, it automatically alerts gastroenterology staff by email.
Gastroenterology Unit head and associate professor Marcus Robertson stressed that the digital tool is not AI but a technology that automates the time-consuming and manual process of checking histopathology results after an endoscopic procedure.
"Currently, manual checking of the results is standard practice, and when you are performing thousands of procedures each year, inevitably it raises the possibility that some will get missed," he said.
Since introducing the tool, according to Peninsula Health, patients with unexpected cancer now receive specialist treatment 43% faster.
The Gastroenterology Unit is now streamlining its tool with its surgical counterpart to enable appointments. It also sees expanded application to other specialist areas.
Care needs and preferences
Peninsula Health has also been implementing an electronic tool that records and communicates patients' care needs and preferences across its services.
The "digital health passport" surveys patients to capture their individual care priorities and broad needs and preferences.
Patients either receive a text message with a link to the survey form or are assisted by a designated staff member who will input information on their behalf on a digital tablet.
Based on a statement, the digital health passport enables personalised care experiences, especially for those with disabilities and/or complex needs.
Clinicians have also recognised the tool, which allows them to personalise care planning and delivery.
The care needs and preference tool, piloted at the wards of Frankston Hospital and the Golf Links Road Rehabilitation Centre, is now being rolled out across Peninsula Health, with full implementation expected early next year.
Additionally, the National Centre for Healthy Ageing-funded (NCHA) digital tool is about to go live at Peninsula Health's new tower, where each ward will have a designated staff member who will introduce the tool to inpatients during their hospital stay.
THE LARGER TREND
As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Peninsula Health has also implemented end-to-end digital platforms for managing patient flow and cancer information.
The health service is also involved in an NCHA project testing traditional and AI approaches to improving dementia detection in healthcare settings.
