Page 11 - Rochester Medicine | 2019 Volume 1 | University of Rochester Medical Center

Using Technology to Predict $1 billion weekly expense for U.S. employers. screenings, and patient health surveys
and Prevent Injury The effort began as a pilot by Rubery and to gather data. Custom-written software
Kostantinos Vasalos, director of rehabili- interprets the data and identifies who’s at
Technology, paired with principles of biopsy- tation services and chief of sports and spine risk of a health issue that could trigger a
chosocial medicine, can be a powerful tool rehabilitation, who showed that exercise workplace injury claim. At-risk workers get a
in addressing modifiable health risks. It and nutrition interventions could help customized intervention—which can include
can also automate clinical tasks, identify prevent injury and promote health among nutrition counseling, physical therapy,
opportunities to improve health care quality, URMC nurses. athletic training, behavioral health, pain
and improve cost-efficiency of care. Building on those findings, Vasalos, management—to promote their health
One example that’s already making a Mitten, and Gregg Nicandri, MD, associate and safety.
difference: Workplace Health, an Orthopae- professor of Orthopaedics, built a high-tech After a 3-year pilot of 4,000 URMC staff,
dics-led technology and business venture to system that employs video-capture the program cut claims costs by 37 percent
prevent workplace injury, estimated as a technology, physical and behavioral health and the team is selling the solution to large
Rochester-area employers.

Hand surgeon Constantinos Ketonis, MD, PhD (left), and research scientist Alayna Loiselle
(PhD ’09) are researching ways to improve flexor tendon healing in the human hand; artificial
intelligence and machine learning help by automating analysis of ultrasound images.

ROCHESTER MEDICINE | 2019– V1MEDICINE | 2019– V1
ROCHESTER 8 8