A.I. revolution in kidney care: DeLorean AI partners with IRC

Constellation Kidney Group (CKG) isn’t the only health care leader making waves with artificial intelligence (AI). DeLorean AI, another company at the forefront of medical technology, is making strides in the field of kidney care. The company’s recent partnership with Innovative Renal Care (IRC) signifies a groundbreaking step forward in improving patient outcomes for chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

DeLorean AI’s potentially game-changing technology is a suite of health care AI products, with a particular focus on its highly effective Renal AI. This biologically validated program tackles challenges in ESRD and chronic kidney disease by equipping health care facilities with insightful data and intelligent decision-making tools.

Renal AI empowers medical professionals through data-driven forecasts, allowing them to make informed choices that ultimately enhance care, extend lives, and minimize hospitalizations for patients. One of Renal AI’s most impressive capabilities is its ability to detect previously undiagnosed chronic kidney disease with a staggering 88.5% accuracy rate. Early detection can allow for earlier intervention and treatment, potentially improving patient outcomes.

Innovative Renal Care, a leader in kidney care technology, is renowned for its dedication to improving the lives of patients worldwide. The company’s commitment to providing personalized care through its TIME, clinicalvision, Renal Insight, eMed, and MIQS electronic medical record (EMR) products has garnered them a well-deserved reputation within the health care industry.

The recent partnership between DeLorean AI and IRC signifies a powerful union. By integrating DeLorean AI’s cutting-edge Renal AI technology into IRC’s established EMR platforms, health care professionals gain access to a treasure trove of real-time patient data alongside AI-driven insights. This powerful combination allows for the creation of personalized care plans, predicts potential hospitalization events, and supports the care team with AI-generated “Next Best Action” recommendations.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health crisis, affecting millions of people worldwide. ESRD, the most severe stage of CKD, can require dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival. The traditional approach to managing these conditions relies on regular check-ups, blood tests, and monitoring of symptoms. However, this reactive approach often leads to missed opportunities for early intervention and better patient outcomes.

DeLorean AI’s Renal AI offers a paradigm shift in how health care professionals manage kidney disease. By analyzing vast amounts of patient data, Renal AI can identify subtle changes in a patient’s health that might otherwise go unnoticed. This can allow for proactive intervention, potentially preventing complications and hospitalizations. For instance, Renal AI works to predict with high accuracy a patient’s likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, empowering doctors to take preventive measures.

The power of the IRC and DeLorean AI partnership lies not only in the precision of Renal AI but also in its ability to augment, not replace, human expertise. The AI-driven insights provide valuable guidance to medical professionals, enabling them to tailor treatment plans to each patient’s unique needs. This personalized approach empowers patients to become active participants in their own health care journey, fostering better communication and building trust with their care team.

The collaboration between DeLorean AI and IRC represents a significant milestone in the fight against kidney disease. This powerful combination of AI technology and personalized care has the potential to transform the lives of millions of patients worldwide. As AI continues to evolve in the health care landscape, patients and providers hope to see even more groundbreaking advancements that improve not only the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease but also the overall patient experience.

Looking ahead, DeLorean AI and IRC are committed to continuous innovation. The company is actively developing new AI products that address other critical health care challenges, with the ultimate goal of empowering medical professionals to deliver the best possible care to its patients. This dedication to improving health care through cutting-edge technology offers a beacon of hope for patients struggling with kidney disease and other chronic conditions.

In March, 39-year-old New Britain resident Lucy Donofrio received the kidney transplant she had been waiting nearly two years to get. Lucy first learned she would need the transplant seven years ago, shortly after the birth of her daughter. Complications from Type I diabetes and preeclampsia had resulted in a premature birth and unusual strain on her kidneys. A transplant wasn’t a matter of if, only when.

The last six months of her wait were perhaps the most difficult. Her condition had progressed to the point of requiring dialysis treatments several times a week. Still, she continued to work in her position at Hartford HealthCare and take care of her children.

“One day, I had my breaking point. I couldn’t take it anymore and decided I was done with dialysis. Then my daughter, she’s only 7 now, told me, ‘Mom, you cannot stop now. I don’t like school, but I have to go every day. You need this.’ So, I pulled up my head again. I couldn’t see my daughter staying here and letting myself go.”

It was not long after that Lucy celebrated with her daughter after getting the call that a kidney donor had been found. Although she doesn’t know who the donor is, she is eternally grateful to be living a healthy, normal life.

In fact, Lucy started feeling better almost immediately after surgery. She says, “It’s like I was reborn that day. I tell people I have two birthdays now.”

How to find a living kidney donor

The National Kidney Foundation says the average wait for a kidney transplant with an organ from a deceased donor is 3-5 years. That wait can become much shorter when a living donor is willing and able to provide a healthy organ. Organizations like the National Kidney Registry play a crucial role in facilitating living organ donation by connecting potential donors with individuals in need of transplants.

There are also people like Kari Rancourt, a living donor transplant coordinator at Hartford Hospital, who has been working with living donors since 2015 and has been a transplant nurse at Hartford Hospital since 2006. Along with two other coordinators, Rancourt works to educate potential donors about the process and help potential recipients effectively share their story to increase their chances of matching with a donor.

“Lucy is a really great example of someone who used all the tools at her disposal like creating a microsite that tells her story,” Rancourt says. “At Hartford HealthCare, there is a pathway for employees to share their need through the internal media department, reaching a very large network. This story moved a lot of people to step forward to try to become a donor.”

Once Lucy shared her story through the internal network, it was only a few months before she found a donor. Not only did she find a donor, she also inspired many of her own family members to become donors themselves.

Transplants are transformational

“Lucy’s story is a remarkable example of a young mother with a full-time job who was able to recover and go on to live a full life again,” says Oscar Serrano, MD, Lucy’s transplant surgeon. “Transplants really transform the way that patients with end-stage renal disease can go on with their lives, and a living donor has the opportunity to make that happen.”

Dr. Serrano describes living organ donors as the ultra-athletes of patients. His team evaluates somewhere between 450-500 people each year who want to be living donors.  The process typically involves a thorough assessment of the donor’s medical and psychological suitability to ensure the safety and well-being of both the donor and the recipient.

“We only perform about 40 operations, which means not even one in 10 would-be donors makes it through the process,” he says. “We’re very thorough. Many potential donors are concerned about what’s going to happen to them. While there is a risk with any surgery, we absolutely would not take a kidney if we didn’t think the patient was going to live a full happy life with one remaining kidney.”

The importance of living organ donation cannot be overstated. It not only saves lives but also alleviates the burden on transplant waiting lists and reduces the significant healthcare costs associated with long-term dialysis treatment.

“The most important thing that people should know is that everyone should register as an organ donor,” says Rancourt. “And anyone considering living donation should give us a call and ask questions. There’s never any pressure to just even learn about the process.”

Learn more about the Living Donation Program at HartfordHealthCare.org or tune into Hartford HealthCare’s Facebook Live with the Hartford Courant on Wed., April 17 at 12:30 p.m.

— Jessica Chesler for Hartford HealthCare

The news and editorial staffs of the Sun Sentinel had no role in this post’s preparation.