AI, State Grant Enhance Lung Cancer Program

Artificial intelligence (AI) is positively impacting health care, specifically when it comes to radiology, and Middlesex Health is at the forefront. 

Middlesex Health is utilizing an AI capability within Epic, its electronic health record system, to help bridge a care gap between medical providers and patients. AI helps to facilitate follow-up care when lung nodules are identified incidentally in patients admitted to Middlesex Hospital or in patients visiting a Middlesex Health Emergency Department location.

“AI is transforming health care by enhancing the accuracy and speed of medical imaging, enabling earlier diagnoses and more personalized care,” says Dr. Nancy Rini, chair of Radiology at Middlesex Health. “This technology helps deliver faster results and improves overall patient outcomes.”

How it works

An Emergency Department patient is getting a CT scan of his chest — not a scan specifically of his lungs. However, when the images are reviewed, a nodule is found in the lungs. This is called an incidental finding — and one that deserves follow-up care. 

These findings are important because some lung nodules (not all) can indicate lung cancer, and those that are not cancerous may need to be monitored periodically. Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate of all cancers, and early detection is crucial to achieving more favorable outcomes.

With the help of the AI capability within Epic, Middlesex Health now has an additional layer of support for identifying and communicating incidental findings to patients and their primary providers. After a radiologist reviews the imaging and creates their report, the AI technology within Epic evaluates the report to identify exams that may need follow-up care, and an alert is provided. These Epic alerts are reviewed by a specialized team at Middlesex, and messages are then created for both the patient and their medical provider. 

“Lung cancer often has no symptoms in its earlier stages,” says Dr. Justin Goralnik, a pulmonologist and medical director of Middlesex Health Cancer Cancer. “ It’s imperative that we do everything we can to help identify and monitor concerns early.”

Like with any new technology, Middlesex Health is considering new ways to optimize this AI capability through Epic to ensure the best possible experience for patients. As a way to double check the AI findings, the health system is currently still manually flagging incidental lung findings to  ensure that everything is being handled accordingly. This adds an extra layer of protection for patients. 

Middlesex Health’s investment

Lung cancer is a devastating diagnosis for many, and it is a challenging cancer to identify. This makes incidental lung nodule findings very important, and the AI capability within Epic a crucial tool. 

It also means that lung cancer screenings are invaluable. Middlesex Health offers lung cancer screenings, a low dose CT scan of the lungs, to individuals ages 50 to 80 who have at least a 20-pack-year smoking history. Candidates must be smokers or former smokers who quit within the past 15 years and who do not exhibit symptoms of lung cancer.  

Middlesex Health is designated as a Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence, which means it is committed to responsible, high-quality screening practices, and it ensures that the scans used to screen for lung cancer are carried out safely, efficiently and equitably.

Once screening takes place, Middlesex Health’s new lung nodule clinic helps medical providers take the steps necessary to ensure that patients get the tests and follow-up care they need. This may include a referral to a pulmonologist. If cancer is found, Middlesex Health Cancer Center has a nurse navigator who helps patients navigate their cancer journey. 

To help with the lung cancer screening process, along with lung cancer prevention and education, Middlesex Health Cancer Center recently secured a state grant, which will allow it to hire a lay lung navigator. This person will not be a medical expert, but rather a trained community member who will compliment the services and resources offered by the Cancer Center. 

“We understand the importance of providing both assistance and education,” says Ryann Nocereto, director of the Cancer Center. “As a Cancer Center — and as a health system, we are doing everything we can to help our community. We are doing our best to ensure that any lung concerns are identified and treated as early as possible.”

Featured Providers

Justin G. Goralnik, MD

Pulmonary Medicine

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• Middletown, CT
  860-358-6878

• Westbrook, CT
  860-358-6878

• Middletown, CT
  860-358-2066

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Ryann Nocereto, MSN, RN

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• Middletown, CT
  860-358-2000

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Nancy J. Rini, MD

Radiology

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• Middletown, CT
  860-358-2600

• Middletown, CT
  860-358-2600

• Marlborough, CT
  860-358-2600

• Westbrook, CT
  860-358-2600

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