ED PreVisit: A Multilingual AI Solution for Pre-ED Visit Consultation, Enhanced Demand Forecasting, and Improved Patient Experience in Emergency Departments 

Project Abstract: The "ED PreVisit" web application is an innovative AI-driven tool designed for patients planning a visit to an Emergency Department (ED), allowing them to undergo a preliminary self-triage prior to their physical arrival. With data sourced from renowned hospitals such as Jewish General Hospital, the application identifies symptom patterns, anticipates potential outcomes, and tailors its questioning to pinpoint the patient's chief complaint. With a user-friendly bilingual interface, patients input vital details and describe symptoms, while the app transforms this data into the IT system of the target ED. This proactive approach not only expedites the registration and triage process, but also avoid unnecessary ED visits by directing non-urgent patients to general practitioners or pharmacists. Moreover, it provides ED managers with future information about patient arrivals, which can be used for better demand forecasting and resource planning. This app can also offer estimated waiting times for various EDs, allowing patients to choose one with the shortest wait. Once a patient selects an ED and submits the questionnaire, the app will also provide tailored preparation instructions for the ED visit, based on the patient’s profile and chief complaint. Spanning from January 1 2025 to December 31, 2025, the project's focus is the development and internal evaluation of the app, ensuring its efficacy and ease of use. 

CORE RESEARCH TEAM

Principal Investigator: Professor Yichuan Ding

Associate professor of healthcare analytics at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.

Professor Steve Liu

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University, Associate Member of MILA, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the IEEE.

Professor Lawrence Rosenberg

Professor of Surgery and Medicine at McGill University, President & CEO of CIUSSS Central West.

Li Jiang

PhD student in Operations Management at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.

Erin Cook

Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Ethics, and Virtual Care, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

Jennifer Gutberg

Embedded Scientist of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Clinical & Organizational Ethics, and Virtual Care, CIUSSS Central West.