Nationally, incidental abnormalities are found about 40% of the time during imaging tests that are unrelated to the reason the test was ordered. In 2020, Geisinger implemented the STAIR™ Program (which stands for System to Track Abnormalities of Importance Reliably) to help manage these patients. If an incidental lung abnormality is found, the provider refers the patient to the STAIR team, which evaluates the patient and establishes a care plan.
“The mission of the STAIR program is to ensure that all patients with important radiology findings get the care they need at the time they need it — the first time, every time,” said Yatin Mehta, M.D., Geisinger pulmonologist and STAIR Program director.
The program has made sure patients have follow-up care, but referring, tracking and managing patients was time-consuming. The new patient management technology, in partnership with Denver-based health company Eon, automatically enrolls patients with an incidental finding in the STAIR program. The Eon system’s AI-driven workflow tracks the patient’s journey and flags the care team when necessary for timely follow-up care.
“Tracking patients behind the scenes, automating workflows and removing busywork not only enables the care team to manage and bring back significantly more patients, but also frees them up to spend more time on direct patient care,” said Nathan Boehlke, Eon director of implementation.
“The STAIR program and lung cancer screening program are two important ways that we can catch cancer earlier when the patient has a chance to be cured,” Dr. Mehta said. “We’re excited to work with Eon on innovation that’s making a difference by allowing our staff to manage more patients more efficiently — and ultimately saving lives with earlier intervention.”
About Eon
Eon is a health data science company that utilizes computational linguistics, intelligent workflows, and tech-enabled virtual navigation services to track incidental and actionable findings across a variety of medical disciplines throughout the course of a patient’s health journey. Eon exists to ensure the right data reaches the right people at the right time to make patients healthier and health care affordable.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a research institute and the Geisinger College of Health Sciences, which includes schools of medicine, nursing and graduate education. With more than 25,000 employees and 1,700+ employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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