sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Suzanne Burns has been around people with disabilities for most of her life. 

Her mother taught special education at Manzano High School. Her uncle was in a car accident and required physical therapy to regain the use of his arm, and she still remembers her grandfather suffering minor strokes and being discharged from the hospital without adequate home support. 

To ensure other people do not experience what her grandfather did, Burns, an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 native and associate professor of occupational therapy at the University of New Mexico, .

MAH is an artificial intelligence platform that helps occupational therapists and care teams identify risks in homes, recommend changes and track the results. The goal is to work together with patients and their families to reduce the risk of injuries and decrease hospitalizations, according to the company.

It comes as AI is seeing rapid adoption across industries, including healthcare. The state鈥檚 three largest health systems have implemented AI for physicians, allowing them to use ambient listening programs that transcribe appointments and giving them more face-to-face time with patients. 

鈥淭he desire to create the app (not only) came from my experiences with my own family but also my professional experiences in healthcare, where I saw a major gap that contributed to people falling through the cracks when they were discharged home,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淭his gives us a way to reach more people and, despite this growing demand for services and help, (allows) more people to be able to stay living where they want to live.鈥�

Burns said clients can use their phones or tablets to record short videos of spaces in their homes. The footage is then entered into MAH鈥檚 AI system, which identifies hazards 鈥� like a loose throw rug 鈥� and recommends how to make those spaces safer. 

鈥淥ccupational therapists have advanced training in home modifications,鈥� she said. 鈥�(They) know the subtleties to look for based on a person鈥檚 disabilities or impairments.鈥�

Burns said a big issue many older people have is falling.

In the United States, over 14 million adults 65 and over report falling each year. About 37% of those who fell reported an injury requiring medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least a day, according to a February Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Research has shown falls can be reduced with occupational therapy-led home modifications, she said.

While it usually takes hours to conduct a home-safety evaluation, myAccessibleHome makes the process more efficient by saving occupational therapists time when filling out reports, for example, Burns said.

MAH says it provides reports and analytics such as modification plans with prioritized recommendations for patients and organizational dashboards that track safety outcomes and monitor function. In addition, the app works with vetted contractors to provide concierge-style support that guides clients from assessment through installation. 

Rochelle Mendonca, co-founder and assistant professor of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia University, said in a statement the company also aims to 鈥渉elp healthcare providers scale operations while reducing inpatient and outpatient expenditures.鈥� 

鈥淥ur AI-powered assessments provide high-quality recommendations while allowing your occupational therapists to maximize billable time on direct patient care and other essential discharge planning services,鈥� Mendonca said.

While the platform uses AI, it does not 鈥済ive AI the ability to make clinical decisions,鈥� Burns said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just making it a lot simpler, and we鈥檙e giving those organizations the ability to reach more people,鈥� she said.

Mendonca said the company received $1.6 million from the Administration for Community Living鈥檚 National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to help develop the app. 

In April, it successfully completed a pilot program involving Columbia University occupational therapy graduate students, as well as seniors and people with disabilities, she said.

鈥淪ince then, we have been able to expand the user-friendliness and efficiency of the app to make it easier for users,鈥� Mendonca said. 鈥淎s we work toward expansion, we are seeking partnerships and opportunities for more funding.鈥� 

She added that the company has 鈥渂een having a lot of conversations around the country and internationally,鈥� and anticipates a rollout to go live starting late summer. 

Gregory R.C. Hasman covers the economy and healthcare. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.