#United States #New York #Chronic Kidney Disease #Century Health #Balboa Nephrology

Century Health and Balboa Nephrology Team Up for CKD Innovations

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health challenge that impacts over 35 million individuals in the United States alone. With symptoms and progression varying widely among patients, effective diagnosis and treatment can be exceedingly complex. Recognizing the pressing need for innovative solutions, Century Health and Balboa Nephrology have announced a strategic partnership aimed at harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance clinical research and drug development for this condition.

This collaboration merges Century Health's cutting-edge AI technology with Balboa Nephrology's clinical expertise, creating a synergy that promises to improve patient outcomes and accelerate the development of effective treatments for diseases such as IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulonephritis.

The Role of AI in CKD Management

AI holds immense potential in managing chronic illnesses like CKD, where patient experiences and disease trajectories can be intricate. Through AI applications, Century Health is uniquely equipped to extract critical data from unstructured clinical records, making previously elusive information accessible to researchers and clinicians alike. By analyzing electronic health records (EHR), Century Health's AI models facilitate the identification of variables that are critical to understanding care decisions and treatment efficacy.

Terry Behrend, Chief Medical Officer at Balboa Nephrology, emphasized the dedication of their institution to enhancing patient care. He stated, “By integrating Century Health's platform, we can contribute significantly to vital research that translates real-world patient experiences into improved care and refined treatment options across the spectrum of kidney disease.”

Understanding Kidney Function: The eGFR Challenge

One of the cornerstone metrics for assessing kidney function is the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a blood test that indicates how effectively kidneys filter waste. However, eGFR is influenced by a multitude of factors, including age, hydration status, diet, and body composition, leading to fluctuations that complicate accurate assessments of kidney health.

The Century Health Abstraction and Retrieval Model (CHARM) stands out as a powerful tool designed to compile eGFR data over time, while also factoring in associated variables such as proteinuria, biopsy outcomes, medications, and comorbidities. This comprehensive approach allows for a clearer perspective on disease progression, supporting more precise historical analyses for researchers.

A Vision for the Future

Vish Srivastava, Co-Founder and CEO of Century Health, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership's potential, stating, “By collaborating with Balboa Nephrology, we can scale our AI capabilities, ultimately benefiting patients. This partnership allows us to unlock difficult-to-capture variables, delivering the critical insights needed for better understanding CKD progression and hastening new treatment developments.”

Century Health's commitment to minimizing the time and costs associated with new data collection is evident in its methodologies. By unlocking vital information from existing clinical notes and de-identifying all data in accordance with HIPAA regulations, the firm is paving the way for new advancements in kidney research and drug development.

About the Partners

Balboa Nephrology Medical Group has earned its reputation as a leader in kidney care, driven by a commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered services. With multiple clinical locations and dialysis centers across Southern California, their team of 56 board-certified nephrologists strives to provide outcomes-driven care while continuously pushing the boundaries of kidney health practices.

Century Health, on the other hand, is a transformative health tech company focused on generating meaningful real-world evidence from clinical data. Through its innovative AI-powered platform, Century Health is able to access and curate essential datasets to support groundbreaking research, while maintaining high standards of patient privacy. By forming alliances with academic institutions and healthcare providers, Century Health endeavors to facilitate revolutionary medical treatments.

As this partnership takes its first steps, the implications for patients living with chronic kidney disease are profound. By fusing clinical expertise with AI technology, Century Health and Balboa Nephrology are set to lead the charge in redefining CKD management and treatment methodologies.