Steve Kelley, President and CEO of Ellenville Regional Hospital (ERH), presented groundbreaking research at the prestigious 2024 Rx and Illicit Summit hosted by The Center for Disease Control. The summit, recognized as the CDC’s premier event, addresses the leading cause of death for individuals aged 18 to 50 across the United States.
In collaboration with Hixny, the leading health information exchange serving Eastern New York, ERH has pioneered a revolutionary approach using big data analytics to combat the opioid crisis. Their joint venture involved an extensive analysis of health records from 22,000 patients over the last five years, leveraging artificial intelligence to predict opioid overdose risks with remarkable accuracy.
Key highlights from the presentation include:
- Predictive Modeling: Utilizing advanced AI algorithms, the initiative successfully predicted potential overdose cases with an 80% confidence level, identifying 115 at-risk individuals. Subsequent validations confirmed that 109 of these predictions were accurate, demonstrating a 90% reliability rate.
- Comprehensive Analysis: This initiative represents an unprecedented scale of data analysis, likened to searching for a needle in a haystack. Hixny’s detailed examination further revealed that approximately 8% of the predicted overdose cases resulted in fatalities (though not all fatalities were caused by overdose), underscoring the critical need for timely intervention.
- Future Prospects: This foundational research has set the stage for more extensive studies and the development of risk stratification tools aimed at enhancing the delivery of care to opioid-dependent individuals. ERH and Hixny are actively seeking additional funding to advance this vital work.
- Continued Leadership: ERH has been at the forefront of the opioid epidemic response for nearly a decade. Their efforts have led to a 95% reduction in opioid administration in emergency settings, effective transition of overdose patients into treatment programs, and the establishment of harm reduction strategies to support recovery readiness.
Steve Kelley emphasized, “This innovative tool represents a potential breakthrough in our fight against the opioid crisis. By enabling healthcare providers to prioritize interventions for those most at risk, we can save lives and significantly improve the efficacy of our healthcare services.”
