Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

St. John’s University has been awarded a $550,000 grant from the US National Science Foundation to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) solution for the labor-intensive process of medical coding and health care billing.

Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science, and Director of Research at The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, will lead a team of five to six researchers. The team aims to utilize AI’s machine-learning capabilities to read doctors' notes, identify symptoms that could lead to diagnoses, and subsequently code these conditions for more efficient insurance filing.

The one-time grant will fund two years of research in this emerging technological field. Dr. Bukhari highlighted that the AI solution would allow medical offices and clinics to prioritize patient care over administrative tasks such as billing.

“Doctors are trained to treat diseases, and that is how they should spend their time treating patients,” Dr. Bukhari said. “But currently doctors are dealing with software issues and coding. Doctors are occupied with so many things they should not be.”

AI technologies have already been integrated into various aspects of healthcare, such as reminding patients about tests, answering patient questions, and predicting diseases. Dr. Bukhari's team plans to automate the coding process further to facilitate quicker and more accurate diagnoses.

Currently, medical coders translate information from doctors’ notes into standardized codes used for billing and record-keeping by identifying relevant details like primary reasons for visits and additional conditions treated. This manual process involves significant attention to detail and carries the risk of human error with potential long-term consequences.

Dr. Bukhari explained that some medical coders work other jobs during the day before taking on their coding responsibilities in the evening: “Medical coding companies might have people on staff who work all day in other jobs,” he said.

Properly configured computers can expedite diagnosis and treatment while also ensuring prompt insurance reimbursement for medical centers. AI technology could help mitigate staffing shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In developing their AI platform, Dr. Bukhari’s team will seek input from medical professionals to optimize system performance without replacing human coders but rather supplementing their work for greater efficiency.

“We think this would transform the job of medical coder into that of fact-checker or auditor,” Dr. Bukhari added.

Luca Iandoli, Ph.D., Dean of the Collins College of Professional Studies and Professor in the Division of Computer Science, Science, and Mathematics, praised Dr. Bukhari’s research as an ideal application of AI technology: “This grant is a well-deserved recognition of the quality and academic impact of Dr. Bukhari’s research,” Dean Iandoli said.

“It is also a great example of bridging invention with market opportunities in health-care administration where advancements in AI can bring significant improvements for many stakeholders.”