Revolution in the Diakonie Hospital: AI saves minutes in stroke treatments!

Revolution in the Diakonie Hospital: AI saves minutes in stroke treatments!

Something is happening in the medical landscape, and not just in metropolises like Cologne. In Flensburg's Diako Hospital, new AI software is used to support stroke patients. This innovative technology quickly and accurately analyzes CT brain scans, identifies vascular occlusions and suggests treatment options. This all happens in record time, as the results are available on the treating doctors' smartphones within just two to three minutes, saving an average of 45 minutes. This is invaluable: around 1,200 stroke patients are treated in Flensburg every year, 10% of which are severe cases. The software is also in use at the Franziskus Hospital in Flensburg and proves how far medicine has already come with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). NDR reports that the financing of the software is based on a support association, as the health insurance companies and the state do not provide any funds.

The Flensburger Kliniken support association specializes in medical innovations and is the first of its kind in Schleswig-Holstein. In order to cover the license fees of 120,000 euros for three years, VR Bank Nord will cover 80%. Despite such initiatives, the financial situation of hospitals is tense: the investment requirement for facilities in Schleswig-Holstein is estimated at one billion euros. In a country where the fifth place in funding per hospital bed is over 9,000 euros per year, support associations are essential.

New AI model from Bonn

But the future of stroke treatment is not only being worked on in Flensburg. Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University Hospital of Bonn are working on an AI-based computer model. The aim is to develop a digital assistance system that can predict the health status of patients after a mechanical thrombectomy and detect complications. The Helmholtz Association has provided 250,000 euros for this exciting project. The feasibility study uses data from the “German Stroke Registry” as well as brain images, and the innovative concept of “swarm learning” is used to analyze data efficiently and in compliance with data protection regulations Lab News.

Given the rapidly advancing developments in AI-supported medicine, the focus is increasingly being placed on patient-related applications. Examples such as the “Mika” app for cancer patients show how digital help offers can respond to the individual needs of patients. And AI can not only help with cancer: AI-supported methods are also used for the early detection of Alzheimer's, which can be crucial for improving diagnostics. Researchers are continually working to refine the technologies and further disseminate the applications in order to improve healthcare overall. Fraunhofer ISI highlights that AI is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare, from diagnostics to treatment decisions.

As reported, efforts towards medical innovations and financial support from support associations are crucial to remaining at the forefront of the German healthcare system. Even if AI technologies are not currently included in the regular compensation system, initiatives like the one in Flensburg show that the path to the future is already being paved. The hope is that these developments will not only improve treatment outcomes, but also help advance personalization in medicine. Here, exchange and collaboration between the different clinics is essential in order to work together on the goals.