The interoperability platform provider InterSystems announced this week that it will partner with Cognetivity Neurosciences to enable broader access to early dementia detection tools.  

According to a press statement, the partnership grants Cognetivity access to InterSystems' IRIS for Health platform.  

This, in turn, will allow interoperability between Cognetivity's Integrated Cognitive Assessment dementia-detection software and electronic health records.  

"The pandemic has demonstrated the need for scalable innovation that cuts across conventional boundaries to provide remote early detection tools that reduce cost and risk while improving outcomes for individual patients," said Chris Norton, managing director, UK and Ireland, at InterSystems.  

WHY IT MATTERS 

According to the World Health Organization, there are nearly 10 million new cases of dementia every year – and prompt diagnosis can promote optimal management.  

Cognetivity's ICA uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help detect those early signs.  

Patients are briefly shown several natural images and then asked to respond as quickly and accurately as possible to indicate whether they’ve seen a pre-specified image category.  

According to Cognetivity's website, "Artificial intelligence algorithms are used to cluster test performance in terms of accuracy, speed and image properties."   

The test is aimed at diagnosing dementia up to 15 years earlier than conventional methods, say the organizations. With the partnership, IRIS for Health will enable the integration of ICA with healthcare data systems across international hospitals.   

"IRIS for Health provides us with the interoperability and agility our cutting-edge technology requires to help transform dementia care pathways in the NHS and internationally, and to meet the accelerating demand for telemedicine and remote tools," said Dr. Sina Habibi, Cognetivity's CEO, in a statement.  

THE LARGER TREND  

Millions of dollars have been poured into research around dementia, including tools for diagnosis, detection and treatment response measurement.   

In 2017, the Cleveland Clinic announced its plans to create a national research consortium focused on understanding what causes dementia and how best to diagnose it.  

That same year, Microsoft founder Bill Gates invested $50 million into the Dementia Discovery Fund, aimed at exploring "less mainstream" approaches to treating dementia.  

"There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about our chances: Our understanding of the brain and the disease is advancing a great deal," Gates wrote at the time.  

ON THE RECORD  

"InterSystems has successfully integrated with around 200 different information systems, including those of the biggest EHR providers in the UK and US, including Cerner, Epic and Allscripts," said Habibi. "With our platforms working together seamlessly, the scope of international applications that are now accessible is substantial."  

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Email: kjercich@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.