Vanderbilt Health has put together a project to accelerate the process of getting patients to Alzheimer’s treatment, thanks to a grant from Eli Lilly and Company. The project is detailed in a news article by Paul Govern.

Through the 18-month, $600,000 initiative, the team will develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool inside their electronic health record system (EHR). The device will help reduce the time that patients wait to receive monoclonal antibody therapy after their healthcare provider refers them.

Amalia Peterson, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology and a co-principal investigator on the project told Govern that the AI agent will not replace clinical judgement. Instead, “it will remove a lot of the friction that keeps patients waiting.”

The agent will work by summarizing a patient's relevant chart information once they are recommended by a clinician for cognitive concern, and reporting gaps that might slow evaluation. It will also “recommend whether a case should be routed as priority or standard,” however, “clinicians will retain the ability to accept, edit or override every recommendation.”

The team is considering developing additional AI agents within the EHR to streamline other areas of Alzheimer’s care, but will first focus on helping patients receive their first monoclonal antibody infusion sooner.