A new AI-based tool for screening patients for bone mineral density is being evaluated at Canada’s largest research hospital. CAR members Dr. Mark Cicero and Dr. Alexander Bilbily foresaw an opportunity to improve Canadian healthcare and developed a revolutionary software to assess bone mineral density.
Dr. Cicero and Dr. Bilbily founded a software and medical device company called 16 Bit. Their latest innovation, Rho, is now being tested at the University Health Network (UHN) for its efficacy in identifying patients at heightened risk of osteoporosis, a media release from Ontario Bioscience (OBIO) announced.
Rho is a unique, AI-driven program that analyzes routinely acquired X-ray images for indications of low bone density and alerts the radiologist of the patient’s risk for osteoporosis, explained Dr. Cicero, which has the potential to markedly improve osteoporosis screening in Canada.
“Traditionally, patient demographics such as age, sex, and clinical risk factors are used to determine who should be screened for a particular disease. This approach often lacks specificity, and is therefore costly, and it may not be sensitive enough to catch all patients who have the disease.”
Dr. Cicero says that the opportunistic screening enabled by Rho represents a paradigm shift in osteoporosis screening and population health.
“It allows us to leverage existing information about a patient's bone health to help determine if they would benefit from further diagnostic workup. We have estimated that Rho can save the Canadian healthcare system several tens of millions of dollars each year in fracture costs.”
The evaluation project is a partnership between 16 Bit and the UHN, supported by the OBIO’s Life Sciences Critical Technologies & Commercialization Centre of Excellence. The project will use real-world case data from a multi-site institution that serves a diverse population to gain practical insights on Rho’s performance. From there, the outcomes of Rho’s capabilities will be assessed for their impacts on patient screening, costs, and radiology workflow.
“The project will enroll at least 4000 patients over a four-month period. They will then be followed for a six-month period following their x-ray to confirm if they have undergone DXA,” he explained. “Once complete, this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals. We hope it will help set the foundation for future reimbursement decisions to help improve adoption of the technology.”
Dr. Cicero says Rho has the capability to greatly expand what a radiologist can do.
“Today, radiologists diagnose osteoporosis related fractures and may comment on osteopenia on x-ray if it is severely abnormal, but the human eye struggles to accurately assess bone mineralization until it is too late,” said Dr. Cicero. “Rho allows radiologists to detect osteopenia much sooner and with greater confidence than ever before. This means earlier diagnosis and therapy for our patients and reducing their risk of a future devastating fracture.”
The CAR wishes the best to 16 Bit and the UHN during the evaluation process.