Google Cloud and Seattle Children’s Launch AI-Powered Pathway Assistant to Transform Pediatric Care
Google Cloud has announced a significant partnership with Seattle Children's Hospital, one of America's highest-ranked pediatric hospitals, to introduce the Pathway Assistant, an artificial intelligence-based tool to improve patient care by making it easier for healthcare providers to access intricate clinical information and up-to-date evidence-based treatment guidelines.
With a national deficit of healthcare workers and ever-more complex patient requirements, the American healthcare system needs creative solutions. To preserve high-quality care, clinicians need to access current medical research efficiently.
Recognizing this need, Seattle Children’s has, since 2010, developed over 70 Clinical Standard Work (CSW) pathways, part of their broader Clinical Effectiveness program that serve as essential clinical guidelines to improve patient outcomes. These CSWs have already become a model for nearly 40 children’s hospitals across the country.
Bringing Critical Information to Providers' Fingertips
In partnership with Google Cloud, Seattle Children’s is taking these CSWs to the next level. Using Google’s Gemini models and Vertex AI platform, the newly launched Pathway Assistant delivers instant access to vital clinical guidelines, integrating text, visuals, and the latest research into an easy-to-use interface. What previously took up to 15 minutes for healthcare providers to retrieve manually can now be accessed in seconds.
Clara Lin, MD, vice president and chief medical information officer, said, “We are committed to offering our doctors and other healthcare providers the most cutting-edge tools to enhance their decision-making.”
She added, “This AI agent represents a significant step forward in achieving that goal, enabling our team to leverage the full potential of CSWs and deliver the highest quality care to the patients we serve."
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Transforming Workflows and Enhancing Patient Outcomes
Built with insights from over 50 clinicians at Seattle Children’s, early trials of Pathway Assistant have shown promising results. The resource minimizes administrative time, enabling healthcare professionals to spend more time on direct patient care.
In addition to optimizing workflow, Pathway Assistant is anticipated to increase compliance with standard-of-care protocols, so every patient can be assured of receiving uniform, high-quality care. Success metrics will include both qualitative and quantitative assessments of patient and provider outcomes.
