American Burn Association Study Highlights Inequities in Access to Specialized Burn Care
September 10 2024 - 8:00AM
Spectral AI, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDAI) (“Spectral AI” or the
“Company”), an artificial intelligence (AI) company
focused on medical diagnostics for faster and more accurate
treatment decisions in wound care, today provided an overview of a
study conducted by the American Burn Association (“ABA”)
highlighting the physical and economic barriers to burn care access
faced by rural and pediatric patients.
The Company also discussed how its DeepView®
System for burn indication can help broaden equity in access to
burn treatment while optimizing healthcare resources.
Each year, approximately 400,000 individuals in
the United States receive medical treatment for burn injuries,
necessitating immediate access to specialized care to minimize
morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, the number of certified
burn centers has declined from 180 to approximately 125 over the
last three decades, revealing an alarming contraction in access to
specialized critical treatment.
A recent study published in the Journal of Burn
Care & Research January/February 2024, titled "Access to
Certified Burn Centers in the United States: The Geospatial and
Transport Cost of Transfer," conducted by the American Burn
Association (ABA), highlights the uneven distribution of
ABA-verified burn centers across the nation. The findings indicate
significant disparities, particularly affecting rural populations
and pediatric patients, who face additional barriers to timely
care.
Key findings of the study include:
- Geographical Disparities: Pediatric patients
travel an average of 30.5 miles further than adults to reach the
nearest burn center. This distance increases the cost of transport
significantly, with pediatric air transport costing $947.30 more
and ground transport $245 more compared to adults.
- Rural vs. Urban Access: Rural patients face a
50.02% increase in travel distance to burn centers compared to
their urban counterparts. Transportation costs for rural patients
are nearly double those for urban patients, with air transport
costing $5,678 more and ground transport $491.20 more.
- Economic Burden:
The study estimates that rural patients encounter higher costs due
to longer distances and less efficient transportation options. Air
transport, often necessary in remote areas, contributes
substantially to these increased costs.
These disparities are particularly pronounced in the Mountain
West and Southeastern regions of the United States, where access to
both adult and pediatric burn centers is critically low. The
limitations in specialized burn care access not only hinder timely
treatment but also exacerbate the long-term health outcomes for
those affected.
“Specialized burn centers are critical to
minimizing burn-associated morbidity and mortality, and the
disparity in access to these facilities, especially in rural areas
and among children, poses a significant risk to our communities,”
said Peter M. Carlson, Chief Executive Officer of Spectral AI. “A
compounding factor of this care gap is the associated increase in
transportation costs. For both adults and pediatric patients, an
accurate wound assessment is critical in determining the
appropriate treatment protocol. Whether the patient is seen at a
specialized burn center or local emergency department, we believe
that empowering healthcare providers with a technology that
provides an immediate, objective, and binary wound healing
assessment is a vital piece of the wound care puzzle.”
Spectral AI’s DeepView® System image processing
algorithm utilizes multispectral imaging, trained and tested
against a proprietary database of more than 340 billion clinically
validated data points, to deliver a rapid and objective assessment
that aids healthcare providers in assessing the healing potential
of a burn wound. The DeepView® System wound healing assessment
platform empowers clinicians at all levels with the insights
necessary for timely and informed treatment decisions.
Spectral AI’s DeepView® System for burn
indication received UKCA Authorization in February 2024 and
commercial sales in the UK are expected to commence this year.
The Company recently announced the completion of
adult and pediatric patient enrollment at U.S. burn centers for its
U.S. Burn Pivotal Study, one of the largest domestic burn studies
ever conducted. Using data from these burn center patients, the
Company will pursue a De Novo classification from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration for use of the DeepView® System in burn centers
and expects to submit the request in the second quarter of
2025.
The ABA emphasizes the critical need for better burn care,
particularly in underserved regions, to ensure that all individuals
have equal access to critical treatments. For more information on
burn injury statistics and the need for equitable access to care,
please visit ABA.org.
About Spectral AISpectral AI,
Inc. is a Dallas-based predictive AI company focused on medical
diagnostics for faster and more accurate treatment decisions in
wound care, with initial applications involving patients with burns
and diabetic foot ulcers. The Company is working to revolutionize
the management of wound care by “Seeing the Unknown®” with its
DeepView® System. The DeepView® System is a predictive device
that offers clinicians an objective and immediate assessment of a
wound’s healing potential prior to treatment or other medical
intervention. With algorithm-driven results and a goal to change
the current standard of care, the DeepView® System is expected to
provide faster and more accurate treatment insight towards value
care by improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
For more information about the DeepView® System, visit
www.spectral-ai.com.
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Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to
differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking
statements. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on any forward-looking statements.
Investors should carefully consider the
foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described
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filed by the Company. These filings identify and address other
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forward-looking statements.
Investors: The Equity
Group Devin Sullivan Managing
Director dsullivan@equityny.com
Conor Rodriguez Analyst crodriguez@equityny.com
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