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Mayo Clinic, nference Expand Artificial Intelligence Collaboration

Mayo Clinic is expanding its 12-year artificial intelligence-based collaboration with software company nference, aiming to increase access to de-identified EHR data.

AI for care access.

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By Mark Melchionna

- Mayo Clinic and nference have expanded their artificial intelligence (AI)-based collaboration with the launch of a new platform that will leverage de-identified EHR data to increase access to data-derived insights.

The platform, known as nSights, aims to advance research, drug discovery, and clinical care. Developed by nference, it provides biopharma, medical device companies, and diagnostic firms with de-identified EHR data across a wide range of disease states, according to the press release.

The platform represents an expansion of Mayo Clinic's 12-year relationship with nference. The company's partners and customers will gain access to Mayo Clinic Platform's de-identified data across various specialties, such as cardiology, oncology, and immunology, through nSights. 

The platform offers data exploration, analytics, and data science capabilities, including algorithm development. It combines various types of patient data, such as clinical notes, electrocardiograms, and radiology images. The data is collected in real time and anonymously, which helps limit bias and recall mistakes, the press release notes.

Further, the platform includes a data dictionary, enabling users to create new patient-level features for analysis.

New versions of the nSights platform will include digital pathology and genomics, the press release states.

“The potential of electronic health data remains locked at medical centers and is frequently under-leveraged due to data complexity, privacy, and security concerns,” said Mike Koenig, chief commercial officer at nference, in a press release. "Our expanded collaboration with Mayo Clinic Platform provides the framework for nference’s deployment of nSights and enables our customers to access de-identified ‘patient-level’ data to drive research and development of new therapeutics. I look forward to continuing to build and fortify our partnership with the Mayo Clinic team as we work together to improve healthcare through data-derived insights and knowledge."

Further, nference has built a Mayo Clinic-branded version of nSights, called Mayo Clinic Platform_Discover.

“Over the past year, our collaboration with nference, leveraging nSights, has accelerated clinical decision support and care in significant ways," said Maneesh Goyal, chief operating officer, Mayo Clinic Platform, in a press release. "Data-derived insights and knowledge help us accelerate and enhance innovation and meet the unmet needs of patients everywhere.”

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