AI-Driven Innovations in Cardiovascular Care: A Conversation with Dr. Denis Losik, CEO, eMed Support Systems
In this insightful interview, we speak with Dr. Denis Losik, a seasoned cardiologist and entrepreneur who is the CEO & Co-founder of eMed Support Systems, a pioneering company leveraging AI and digital technology to revolutionise cardiovascular care. Mr. Losik shares the inspiration behind eMed Support, detailing how the company transforms unstructured clinical data into AI-driven insights that enhance patient outcomes and streamline the physician’s workflow. Through innovative solutions like the digital patient twin, eMed Support Systems is making significant strides in improving the quality of healthcare while reducing costs for health authorities.
Q: Dr. Losik, I am delighted to welcome you to The Founders Story. Thank you for joining us today to share your insights on transforming cardiovascular care through AI and digital technology.
Dr. Denis Losik: Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m excited to share our journey and the impact eMed Support Systems is making in improving patient outcomes and revolutionising the healthcare industry.
Q: eMed Support has been making some waves for quite some time with its AI-powered clinical data processing. What was the inspiration behind eMed Support? How did you come up with the idea?
Dr. Denis Losik: Well, all good stories start with meeting the right people at the right time. You also need to have a clear vision for the future. About one year before COVID-19 in 2019, AI and digitalisation were getting a lot of attention and were becoming prominent. At that time, I was working as a scientist and a cardiologist. I could only help 10 patients per day. At least 40% of my working day was spent inputting data into the health information system. I had to manually transform the information from the test labs into patient summaries. But like I said, I met the right people at the right time, and for me, they were Konstantin, an experienced entrepreneur, and Alexey, a talented IT developer. We decided to automate the physician’s workflow. Our aim was fast information retrieval so that doctors could make accurate decisions using the data available. For me, this transition from a doctor to an entrepreneur was challenging. But at that time, all I could think about was how this new emerging technology of AI and digital transformation could save millions of lives. Over the last 4 years, eMed Support has grown, and we now have a team of doctors and IT engineers. Together, we digitised the main clinical guidelines. We transformed the unstructured clinical data from electronic health records into a digital patient twin and then used this information to train AI models. Now we can automatically calculate the risks of adverse events and recommend optimal therapy. This value-based outcome from eMed Support solution could help physicians immensely in managing cardiovascular patients.
Q: How did you envision eMed Support transforming the landscape of cardiovascular care?
Dr. Denis Losik: As a cardiologist with over 10 years of clinical experience, I was well aware of the major challenges in cardiovascular disease management. You see, cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of mortality, and by that, I mean about 1/3 of all deaths are caused by them. Sure, innovative interventions could help deal with acute conditions. However, when it comes to chronic patients, poor management might prevent them from reaching timely treatment goals. Although the digitalisation of electronic health records is happening, it’s not up to speed. Our primary care is still struggling with data overload; they spend 1-2 hours dealing with this data alone. These lost hours prevent them from having a patient-centric approach, which will lead to errors and overspending. This is why a significant percentage of chronic cardiovascular patients do not achieve treatment targets. For example, only 25% of patients with dyslipidaemia in the Gulf and Europe achieve a target level of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). We developed our digital patient twin to specifically address this challenge. Here, we analyse clinical data from electronic health records, and the doctors can use the generated analysis to make AI-powered data-driven decisions in managing chronic cardiovascular patients. This proactive and timely intervention can save lives, money, and a physician’s time.
Q: Could you explain how the AI-powered digital twin technology in eMed Support enhances the accuracy of LDL-C level and GFR predictions compared to traditional methods?
Dr. Denis Losik: Sure. Suppose that some crucial data, like cholesterol level or glomerular filtration rate, is not captured from the patient. That is when we use AI prediction. We identify patients with possible deviations from target levels with 85% accuracy. This is to test them proactively with traditional methods, diagnose them, and start the treatment as early as possible to avoid adverse events. For the best accuracy, we use multimodal AI training models using data sets from digital twins’ parameters as the basis for transparency results.
Q: You explained in detail how deviation from patient-centric is one of the disadvantages of manual data entry in the medical field. How does eMed Support’s patient-centric model personalises treatment recommendations and monitors therapy progress to improve patient outcomes?
Dr. Denis Losik: eMed analyses over 120 unique patient characteristics and calculates cardiovascular risk scores. It then processes them through relevant clinical guidelines and recommends an evidence-based treatment strategy. These are tailored specifically to the patient’s comorbid conditions. The system sets personalised treatment goals for each patient based on their cardiovascular risk. It then follows up to see if these goals are met through check-ups and lab tests. By analysing real-world patient data, the system can prioritise patients based on their risk level and suggest appropriate follow-up care.
Q: Can you share some specific examples of how eMed Support has made a real difference in patients’ lives or has successfully improved patient outcomes?
Dr. Denis Losik: Of course. We established a clinical decision support system in Russia, and it was an amazing experience. The system showcased significant improvements in patient care. This success has inspired us to launch a new project in the Gulf region. As part of this launch, we are conducting a clinical study to predict high LDL-C levels among patients with cardiovascular diseases. We’re currently running a case study to predict which patients are at high risk for elevated LDL cholesterol. By sorting patients based on their risk level, we can recommend the best possible care plan to their doctors. This data-driven approach will help us show how AI can improve patient outcomes. We’re excited to share the results with you later this year. This is just one example of how we’re using AI to tackle chronic cardiovascular disease.
Q: How does eMed Support integrate with existing EHR systems in public and private clinics, and what has been the feedback from healthcare providers regarding its efficiency and effectiveness?
Dr. Denis Losik: A mass survey of physicians was conducted in Kuwait on the use of dyslipidaemia clinical guidelines. The published data from the survey shows that clinical guidelines are the most important factor in decision-making. 82% of the physicians who participated believe that having guidelines accessible in their local hospital data system would allow them to use the guidelines more regularly. Thus, we made sure that eMed Support solution could easily connect to the systems doctors already use. This means doctors can access our insights and recommendations right when they need them without switching between different programs. How does this help doctors? It makes their jobs easier and helps them give better care.
Q: In what ways does eMed Support contribute to the improvement of medical care quality and the reduction of healthcare costs for health authorities?
Dr. Denis Losik: You see, heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues can lead to expensive hospital stays. For example, a procedure like catheterisation in case of a myocardial infarction can cost thousands of dollars—around $18,931 for just 3 days in the hospital. And there’s always a risk of recurring event. eMed Support helps prevent these costly hospitalisations by ensuring patients get the right treatment. Calculations show that using our system can save payers a significant amount of money over time. According to our budget impact analysis, by implementing clinical decision support, the total cost of treatment for patients with myocardial infractions can be reduced by 24.6% over 5 years. This is mainly due to a decrease in recurring events when patients need to return to the hospital with another Myocardial Infraction.
Q: AI and data analytics are growing rapidly. How does eMed Support make sure it’s always offering the latest and greatest solutions in cardiovascular disease management?
Dr. Denis Losik: We are actively engaged in research activities to stay at the forefront of AI and data analytics in healthcare. We collaborate with leading facilities and participate in international conferences to ensure that our solutions incorporate the latest scientific advancements and continuously retrain the model. Additionally, we actively seek feedback from healthcare providers and clinicians to refine and enhance our platform. This will ensure that it meets the evolving needs of the medical community.
Q: You must have faced some hurdles while building eMed Support. Can you share some of the biggest challenges and how you overcame them?
Dr. Denis Losik: People can consider the application of AI in healthcare risky, so the main challenge was to make our solution trustworthy. This is why we stick to the five principles of responsible AI: fairness, reliability, transparency, security, and accountability. We wanted to make sure our AI was trustworthy, so we have built knowledge-based algorithms by digitising clinical guidelines and other tools that doctors rely on in clinical decision-making. This way, doctors can see exactly how the AI reaches its conclusions. It’s like building a strong base for our AI, and then we added more advanced features to make it even smarter. This helps doctors trust the AI and use it confidently.
Q: Are there any upcoming features or enhancements that you are particularly excited about? How do you see the platform evolving in the next few years?
Dr. Denis Losik: We’re really excited about combining even more information about patients to predict health trends. Imagine using DNA data, wearable devices, and even what people share on social media to create a super-detailed picture of someone’s health. This will help us understand how people age, prevent diseases better, and give them more personalised care. Our goal is to make eMed Support a tool that helps manage every aspect of a patient’s health.
Q: How does eMed Support ensure the ethical use of AI and protect patient data privacy, especially given the sensitive nature of healthcare information?
Dr. Denis Losik: In eMed Support, we prioritise data security and privacy by adhering to responsible AI principles. We work exclusively with depersonalised data and partner with trusted cloud and security solution providers in the region. We host data on servers located within the country, and in some cases, we offer on-premises solutions at healthcare facilities. This approach ensures that patient data is protected, and we maintain the highest standards of ethical AI use in healthcare. From the perspective of clinical ethics, the solution provides a second opinion for a physician to help them make the right decision and last choice based on their experience. Physicians are only responsible for the safety of the decision.
Q: Can you describe a typical day in your life as an entrepreneur?
Dr. Denis Losik: My days are a mix of building relationships with potential customers and partners and negotiating deals. It’s a challenge to introduce new technology in healthcare, but it’s amazing and rewarding. I also spend a lot of time working closely with my team to create solutions that our customers love. Balancing work and family are tough, but luckily, I have a supportive family. I also enjoy attending industry events to meet new people and learn about the latest trends. After all, great ideas come from great minds.
Q: How do you stay motivated and driven in your entrepreneurial journey, especially during tough times?
Dr. Denis Losik: What really drives me is knowing we’re making a difference in countless lives. Seeing people live healthier, happier lives is a gratifying experience. I also feel a huge responsibility towards my team and their families, who work tirelessly to make our vision a reality. And let’s not forget curiosity—it’s that spark that keeps us innovating and pushing forward.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to start their own business?
Dr. Denis Losik: Every entrepreneur’s journey is different. If you’ve got a truly original idea, you might be opening up a whole new market. Before you dive in, figure out what problem your business solves. Is it something that bothers you personally? If so, chances are others feel the same way. And remember, people in different places have different needs, so think about your target audience carefully.
Q: What has been the most satisfying aspect of being an entrepreneur for you?
Dr. Denis Losik: There’s nothing quite like seeing your ideas come to life and getting great feedback. It feels like I’m making a real impact on the world. Plus, being successful in business has allowed me to pursue more of my passions and help others achieve their goals.
Q: Dr. Losik, it’s been fantastic to learn about your journey and the innovative work eMed Support Systems is doing to revolutionise healthcare. Your passion for improving patient outcomes is truly inspiring.