AI-powered precision medicine company Tempus has partnered with Northwestern Medicine, an academic health system in Chicago, to explore AI applications in clinical care and research.
The partnership, which will cover several disease conditions over time, will start with the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, renowned for cardiovascular care.
As part of the collaboration, Northwestern Medicine will deploy Tempus’ technology across its care teams in cardiology to identify patients at increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Also, the technology will help identify seven structural heart diseases (SHD), including mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valves, abnormal heart function, and abnormal heart thickening diseases.
Tempus CEO and founder Eric Lefkofsky said: “As we navigate the complex landscape of healthcare, this collaboration between Tempus and Northwestern Medicine underscores an alliance in revolutionising patient care through AI-enabled methods.
“By harnessing the power of data-driven insights, we’re not just treating diseases; we’re illuminating pathways to better outcomes, faster diagnoses, and more personalised treatment plans.”
Northwestern Medicine is anchored by Northwestern Memorial Hospital and provides patient care from its network of 11 hospitals and more than 200 diagnostic and ambulatory sites.
Northwestern Medicine is the first institute to deploy Tempus’ ECG-AF algorithm, an FDA-approved solution that uses AI to help identify patients at increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF).
The algorithm is intended for use to analyse recordings of 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) devices and detect signs associated with a patient experiencing AF within the next 12 months.
Furthermore, the two organisations will jointly conduct a clinical research study of various Tempus technologies that leverage ECG data.
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare president and CEO Howard Chrisman said: “Northwestern Medicine is committed to applying innovative technologies to improve patient care.
“Artificial intelligence has the ability to be transformative in healthcare, and it’s going to take a collaborative effort to help unlock its true potential and ensure it is safely and ethically deployed in research and patient care settings.”
In June this year, Tempus expanded its collaboration with British drugmaker AstraZeneca, focused on biomarker testing for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The same month, the company teamed up with United Therapeutics (UT) to develop AI-based medical software to detect at-risk patients with undiagnosed pulmonary hypertension (PH).
