Should Your Facility Use KATE AI? Overview and FAQ
Clinical decision support tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are achieving high rates of adoption, particularly in areas that require the processing of large volumes of data. KATE AI is a machine-learning based tool designed to help emergency nurses perform their work. By reading and processing entire health histories (in addition to clinician notes) within seconds, KATE can double-check nurses’ triage decisions in real time, catch missteps before they happen, and improve the accuracy of acuity assignments.
Emergency departments are typically high-risk points within organizations, with patients in severe distress entering the facility along with those with more minor complaints. Triage nurses are at the center of this, deciding the pace with which patients are processed. Their assessment must take place quickly — typically within minutes. This can be challenging, especially when nurses have limited experience, an increasingly common situation due to high turnover rates. Supporting these nurses with a decision-making tool can improve nurse job satisfaction, patient outcomes, and facility finances.
Should your facility use KATE? It depends. The tool has proven effective at improving care continuum for patients and has garnered widespread support from nurses. However, its use is contingent on electronic health record (EHR) integration, and access is fee-based. You’ll need to consider the technology you currently have in place, as well as facility finances. This article will give you a closer look at how KATE fits in with EHRs to support nurses, and the different ways it may impact your bottom line.
The History of KATE AI Triage Technology
The story of KATE begins with Mednition, a California-based company founded in 2014 around the mission to support clinical decision-making processes in healthcare. In 2016, Mednition partnered with Los Angeles-based Adventist Health White Memorial to research the ways technology (machine learning, specifically) could be used in real clinical environments to support healthcare providers.
The company took a nurse-first approach, focusing on how nurses perform their work and how they could be better supported. The tool they created was put into use on site in 2018 and then publicly announced in 2019. This resource, called KATE, is now used in emergency departments across the U.S., including UMass Memorial Health System (Massachusetts), many Adventist Health facilities (California, Oregon, and Hawaii), and Lawrence Memorial Hospital (Kansas). Mednition reports that it has assisted with over 4 million patient visits in total.
Using KATE in Practice: FAQ
To decide whether to purchase KATE AI, emergency room leaders must understand how the tool works with existing technology to operate, and how it generates return on investment (ROI). The questions and answers below address these issues so that leadership can make an informed decision.
How does Mednition’s AI emergency room triage tool work?
Mednition designed KATE to be a supportive tool for emergency nurses that doesn’t create extra work. Once implemented, KATE functions in the background, in partnership with nurses, as a support mechanism and safety net. Here’s a breakdown of the basic steps.
- A patient enters the ED.
- The triage nurse performs an assessment which includes the collection of objective data (such as lung sounds and vital sounds), and subjective data (such as a patient’s statement “it feels like there’s an elephant standing on my chest”).
- The nurse documents these findings and assigns an acuity level based on facility triage protocols, training, and experience.
- KATE automatically applies the available data (including unstructured clinical notes, called free text, and the patient’s entire electronic health record) to a proprietary algorithm based on over 60 billion clinical data points.
- KATE communicates with the ED nurse quickly (within about 8 seconds) about whether there is agreement with the nurse’s findings. For example, KATE may suggest a different acuity level based on data that the nurse missed or didn’t have time to process.
- The nurse looks at this input from KATE while still in front of the patient and then has the opportunity to ask additional questions and get more information.
- Simultaneously, KATE may also notify the charge nurse of discrepancies so that they can review the case and provide input and help to the triage nurse.
How is KATE Sepsis used for early sepsis recognition?
In addition to supporting triage decisions, the tool also has specific applications for sepsis detection. Sepsis is a serious condition that can quickly become fatal. Early detection is critical, but challenging to achieve due to the variety and subtlety of presenting symptoms.
KATE Sepsis is designed to help nurses efficiently and accurately identify the condition, so that patient care can be escalated and antibiotics given as soon as possible. This application has proven to be one of Mednition’s most beneficial solutions for hospital safety. AI-driven clinical decision support tools such as Targeted Real-time Early Warning System (TREWS) and InSight perform a similar function.
What is the purpose of the KATE algorithm?
This tool’s purpose is multifaceted. It can be used to:
- Support clinical decision making for ED triage nurses.
- Improve throughput in EDs.
- Educate nurses.
- Leverage available data to improve health outcomes for patients.
- Improve health equity through data-driven decision making.
How does KATE impact facility profit margins?
The platform is fee-based, and Mednition doesn’t publicly disclose specific costs. The fee is balanced by the positive financial impact of implementation. Here are some of the ways that this tool may generate a return on investment (ROI).
| Improved Nurse Job Satisfaction | When nurses are supported and happy about the quality of care they’re providing, they may experience higher levels of job satisfaction. Reducing nurse turnover mitigates the related financial losses. |
| Better Patient Outcomes | Delays and errors in care in the ED can lead to significantly higher costs per patient, with a range of reimbursement rates from payers. Improved patient outcomes can lead to better reimbursement rates, fewer penalties, and an overall improved financial picture for a facility. |
| Increased ED Throughput | Increasing the flow of patients in the ED can lead to increased revenue, even when accounting for the costs associated with providing care (such as staffing). Greater efficiency in the ED contributes to shorter wait times and fewer left without being seen (LWBS) cases, leading to more procedures and admissions. |
What are the technological requirements for implementing KATE AI?
This tool is cloud-based, meaning it requires high-speed internet to operate. In addition, the platform is designed to integrate with a facility’s EHR software. It’s known for seamless integration with Epic and Cerner EHR systems. However, if your facility uses lesser-known or highly customized software, speak to Mednition representatives about the potential for compatibility challenges between the systems. In general, the tool works best when there is a strong information technology (IT) infrastructure in place.
Where does AI-driven triage technology tend to work well?
AI-powered clinical decision support tools can be used in EDs of any size, from large urban hospitals to small clinics. If a clinic is so small that its ROI doesn’t justify the expense, implementing this technology may not be feasible.
Leveraging AI to Meet the Challenges of the ED
There are many factors that impact how emergency departments operate, and each department is unique and has specific pain points. However, due to the nature of emergency care, there are also some common challenges. Many of today’s EDs face capacity pressures, requiring leadership to decide how limited space will be used. Another common issue is high workforce turnover rates, with the average tenure of an ED nurse shrinking to about two years.
As discussed above, Mednition’s AI-driven triage tool addresses both of these issues. By supporting triage nurses it can help with the efficient processing of patients through the ED. It contributes to nurse job satisfaction by catching mistakes and confirming clinical decisions, assisting nurses to deliver care they can be proud of. If your facility is struggling to meet these common challenges and you have current EHR technology in place, KATE may be the resource you’re looking for.
Stay Current in Healthcare’s Rapidly Changing Landscape
New tools like Mednition’s KATE AI can go from testing to routine use quite rapidly, especially when they effectively solve pressing problems. If you want to make sure you’re staying up-to-date with the latest healthcare innovations, we’ve got your back. Don’t miss our latest healthcare insights and tips, designed to keep your facility on the leading edge.