March 13, 2024

PIPRA integrated in belgian hospital AZ Groeninge

AZ Groeninge will be the first Belgian hospital to utilize PIPRA’s cutting-edge technology, which pre-operatively predicts postoperative delirium(POD) in older surgical patients, a condition that is often underdiagnosed.

POD is a stressful cognitive disorder that presents as an acute onset of confusion, inattention, and an altered level of consciousness. It affects 23%[1] of patients over the age of 60 and generally arises one to three dayspost-surgery. It is the most common surgical complication in this age group.However, despite being a common postsurgical complication affecting millions of patients globally, POD often goes unnoticed and presents significant challenges for healthcare providers and patients, causing financial and socialstrain.  

PIPRA, the innovator behind the world-first AI-based software in the field of delirium, has developed a revolutionary prevention technology through the early detection and management of POD. The groundbreaking tool blendscutting-edge AI technology and a curated clinical database to provide an automated calculation of the risk of an individual developing POD with remarkable accuracy.

AZ Groeninge will implement the tool into its existing clinical workflow, enabling healthcare professionals to seamlessly input routine medical datat hrough a user-friendly data app or extract that data from electronic healthrecords, giving immediate and reliable risk assessment results. In addition, they are embarking on a collaborative project to develop an innovative AI-based delirium risk assessment tool for ICU patients. This advancement empowers hospitals to implement preventive interventions even earlier, prior to the patient's arrival at the ward. This joint initiative marks a milestone in delirium prevention, setting new standards for patient care in Belgium. PIPRA and AZ Groeninge are committed to combining their expertise and resources to revolutionize healthcare and deliver exceptional care to patients.

Dr Wouter De Corte, Anaesthesiologist and Innovation Board Member at AZ Groeninge,says “We’re very proud to implement and co-develop this decision support tool together with PIPRA which detects patients at risk for the development of delirium. With PIPRA, these preventive measures can be more effectively implemented, leading to improved personalised patient care and improved satisfaction for healthcare professionals.

POD significantly impairs patients' medical outcomes. Further, it produces feelings of psychological burden among patients, their closest relatives and healthcare professionals. Delirium is also associated with increased nursing time per patient, higher per day hospital costs, increased length of hospital stay and higher healthcare costs. Prevention of delirium is therefore very relevant. Although many preventive measures can be easily taken, their implementation hospital-wide is often complex.”

PIPRA’s CEO, John Klepper, says, “We’re honoured to be working together with the team at AZ Groeninge - it is a real milestone paving the way for future partnerships in the Benelux region. Together we will optimize patientcare, minimize postoperative complications, and enhance overall patient outcomes. We’re thrilled to collaborate with AZ Groeninge on this transformative project, which places patient outcomes at the forefront. By utilizing our innovative, pre-operative risk assessment software, we can help significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium. Our patient-centric approach aligns seamlessly with AZ Groeninge's mission to provide high-quality, compassionate care."

About AZ Groeninge:

AZ Groeninge is a prominent hospital based in Belgium, renowned for its dedication to providing expert and compassionate care to patients. AZ Groeninge strives to deliver high-quality healthcare services to the community by embracing a patient-centered approach and continuous innovation.

About PIPRA AG:

PIPRA is a MedTech start-up based in Zurich, developing highly innovative products for the prediction, prevention, and diagnosis of delirium using AI and high-grade patient-level data. They collaborate globally with key opinion leaders and top-tier hospitals to provide personalized solutions that improve patient outcomes while saving and increasing revenue for their customers. PIPRA is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals to enhance patient care and improve outcomes.