Sydney-based firms Synapse Medical Services, an automated clinical coding tool provider, and EBM Analytics, a clinical research consultant, have recently collaborated to integrate their technologies.

WHAT THEY DO

Aside from clinical coding, Synapse also offers a transcription service and an app-based online medical billing system. It also runs the healthcare training organisation, Australian Institute of Medical Administration and Compliance.

EBM, on the other hand, provides services including review of clinical outcomes, medical imaging, database administration, clinical research and creation of clinical registries. Its latest partnership with the former adds automated clinical coding, coupled with a support team, to its offerings. 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

The companies' partnership led to an API integration between the data collected by EBM from clinical research studies or clinical registries and the Aircoder, an automated clinical coding tool by Synapse. The Aircoder is an AI-driven system that can code up to 10 episodes per second. It works with any coding system or rules set and learns nuances as it goes. 

The EBM data are transmitted directly to the Aircoder where these are converted into both ICD-10 AM/ACHI and Snomed codes simultaneously and within seconds, under the supervision of a full support team. The codes are then presented via the system's reporting feature. 

WHY IT MATTERS

The established interoperability between their technologies enables EBM to provide "more accurate" data for their healthcare clients. "Aircoder allows EBM greater clarity on their clinical research at a lower cost, and EBM bring[s] Synapse a wonderful team to work with," Synapse CEO Margaret Faux further explained.

In a statement, Synapse said the partnership is initially focused on serving existing contracts and clients but there are plans to expand the offering to other markets, such as the UAE, where the company has been operating for five years from its Dubai office.

THE LARGER TREND

Synapse introduced the Aircoder in December 2019. Since then, the company has established partnerships around the automated clinical coding tool. Around a year ago, it signed a deal with US-based hospital analytics tool provider Alliance Care Technologies to resell the Aircoder to their networks. In October last year, it teamed up with Medical Records Institute, a health informatics consultant in Kenya, to offer the coding platform across medical facilities in the country.

ON THE RECORD

"The system allows our team to focus on other areas of client service delivery safe in the knowledge that the data our research collects will be turned into something tangible and accurate for our provider clients and very quickly too," EBM Analytics Director Dr Corey Scholes said.

"Our interoperability with Aircoder allows us to work smarter and faster. This is critical in clinical research programmes and when establishing accurate clinical registries," Cameron Begley, another EBM director, commented.