DANVILLE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Geisinger is now using an AI-driven management system to help identify patients with lung abnormalities and manage those eligible for lung cancer screening.

In 2020, Geisinger implemented the STAIR Program which stands for System to Track Abnormalities of Importance Reliably. If an incidental lung abnormality is found, the provider refers the patient to the STAIR team.

The new patient management technology which uses artificial intelligence automatically enrolls patients with an incidental finding into the program. AI tracks the patient’s journey and flags the care team when necessary for follow-up care.

STAIR Program Director and Geisinger Pulmonologist Yatin Mehta, M.D., said its mission is to ensure all patients who are found with abnormalities can receive the care they need.

“The STAIR program and lung cancer screening program are two important ways that we can catch cancer earlier when the patient has a chance to be cured,” Dr. Mehta said.

According to Geisinger, incidental lung abnormalities across the country are found about 40% of the time during imaging tests unrelated to the reason the test was ordered.