Optellum Virtual Nodule Clinic

Optellum Virtual Nodule Clinic (VNC) is a groundbreaking precision medicine platform leveraging artificial intelligence to revolutionize lung cancer early detection and pulmonary nodule management. As the first FDA-approved and Medicare-reimbursed AI solution for lung cancer diagnosis, VNC transforms how healthcare systems identify, track, and manage incidentally detected lung nodules—a critical clinical challenge affecting millions of patients annually.

The Clinical Challenge: Incidental Pulmonary Nodules

Pulmonary nodules are detected in approximately 1.6 million Americans annually through CT imaging performed for unrelated reasons. These small lung lesions require careful evaluation—most are benign, but a significant percentage represent early-stage lung cancer. The challenge: distinguishing dangerous nodules requiring intervention from benign lesions that need only surveillance, while ensuring no high-risk patients fall through cracks in follow-up systems.

Traditional nodule management faces critical gaps:

• Lost to Follow-Up: 20-30% of patients with nodules requiring surveillance never receive recommended follow-up imaging
• Inconsistent Risk Assessment: Variability in radiologist interpretation and guideline application
• Resource Intensive: Manual tracking systems are inefficient and error-prone
• Delayed Diagnosis: Late-stage lung cancer detection significantly worsens survival outcomes

Optellum VNC addresses these systemic failures through intelligent automation and validated AI risk prediction.

How Optellum VNC Works

Automated Nodule Detection & Tracking

VNC employs natural language processing (NLP) to automatically scan radiology reports and identify all patients with pulmonary nodules. This AI-driven surveillance captures nodules mentioned anywhere in reports—even incidental findings in studies ordered for other reasons—ensuring comprehensive patient identification without manual chart review.

The platform automatically:

• Extracts nodule characteristics (size, location, morphology) from reports and images
• Creates patient registries of all individuals requiring nodule surveillance
• Flags patients overdue for follow-up imaging based on guideline recommendations
• Integrates with EHR systems to track patient status across healthcare episodes

Clinical Dashboard for Proactive Management

VNC provides clinicians with an intuitive dashboard displaying all patients with pulmonary nodules, risk stratification, and recommended actions. Features include:

• Guideline-Compliant Surveillance: Automated recommendations aligned with Fleischner Society, Lung-RADS, and other evidence-based protocols
• Follow-Up Automation: Scheduled reminders and alerts for overdue imaging
• Multidisciplinary Coordination: Facilitates communication between radiologists, pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and oncologists
• Performance Metrics: Tracks follow-up completion rates and time-to-diagnosis for quality improvement

LCP-AI: Validated Lung Cancer Prediction

Optellum’s proprietary Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP-AI) algorithm represents a breakthrough in nodule risk assessment. Using computer vision analysis of 3D CT images, LCP-AI evaluates multiple radiological features—texture, shape, margins, growth patterns—to generate a clinically validated cancer probability score.

LCP-AI Performance:

• Sensitivity: 100% for identifying malignant nodules in validation studies
• Specificity: 98% for correctly classifying benign nodules
• Clinical Validation: Peer-reviewed studies demonstrating superior performance compared to radiologist assessment alone
• Risk Stratification: Helps determine which patients need immediate biopsy/surgery versus continued surveillance

This validated score empowers clinicians to make evidence-based decisions, reducing unnecessary invasive procedures for low-risk nodules while accelerating intervention for high-risk lesions.

Clinical Benefits

Earlier Cancer Detection: By ensuring consistent follow-up and applying validated risk prediction, VNC enables lung cancer diagnosis at earlier, more treatable stages. Early-stage lung cancer has 5-year survival rates exceeding 60%, compared to less than 10% for late-stage disease.

Reduced Patient Anxiety: Clear risk communication and systematic follow-up plans reduce the uncertainty and anxiety patients experience after nodule discovery.

Fewer Unnecessary Procedures: Accurate risk stratification prevents low-risk patients from undergoing invasive biopsies, PET scans, or surgical resections, reducing healthcare costs and patient morbidity.

Improved Operational Efficiency: Automated tracking eliminates manual registry maintenance, reducing administrative burden on nurses and coordinators while improving follow-up completion rates.

Enhanced Multidisciplinary Care: Centralized platform facilitates tumor board discussions and coordinated care planning among specialists.

Regulatory Validation & Reimbursement

Optellum VNC achieved landmark regulatory and payer milestones:

FDA Approval: Cleared as a medical device for clinical decision support in lung nodule evaluation, demonstrating safety and effectiveness through rigorous review.

Medicare Reimbursement: CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) approved reimbursement for LCP-AI use, recognizing clinical value and cost-effectiveness—a rare achievement for AI diagnostics.

NICE Evaluation (UK): National Institute for Health and Care Excellence positively evaluated VNC for NHS implementation.

These approvals confirm VNC meets the highest standards for clinical evidence, patient benefit, and healthcare value.

Real-World Implementation & Partnerships

NHS Collaboration (UK): Optellum partners with the National Health Service to accelerate lung cancer screening and early diagnosis initiatives across multiple hospital trusts.

Academic Medical Centers: Implementation at leading institutions including university hospitals in the US and Europe validates effectiveness in diverse healthcare settings.

Community Health Systems: Proven scalable in community hospitals lacking dedicated pulmonary nodule clinics, democratizing access to expert-level nodule management.

Clinical Evidence: Published studies demonstrate VNC implementation increases follow-up adherence from 60-70% to over 90%, reduces time-to-diagnosis by 30-40%, and improves early-stage cancer detection rates.

Who Should Implement Optellum VNC

Healthcare Systems seeking to:

• Reduce lung cancer mortality through earlier detection
• Improve quality metrics for cancer screening and follow-up
• Meet Joint Commission and accreditation requirements for incidental findings management
• Demonstrate value-based care outcomes

Specialties Benefiting:

• Pulmonology: Streamlined nodule clinic workflows
• Thoracic Surgery: Better patient selection for surgical intervention
• Radiology: Enhanced reporting and follow-up coordination
• Primary Care: Automated alerts ensuring patients receive specialist referrals

Implementation Considerations

Technical Integration: Cloud-based platform integrating with PACS, EHR, and radiology information systems via HL7/FHIR standards.

Training Requirements: Minimal—intuitive dashboard design enables clinical teams to become proficient within days.

Patient Volume: Scalable from small community hospitals to large academic centers managing thousands of nodule patients.

Cost Structure: Subscription-based pricing with ROI achieved through improved outcomes, reduced litigation risk, and potential Medicare reimbursement for LCP-AI utilization.

Data Security: HIPAA-compliant, SOC 2 certified with enterprise-grade encryption.

The Optellum Advantage

Unlike generic AI detection tools, Optellum VNC provides end-to-end nodule management: detection + tracking + validated risk prediction + guideline-based recommendations + workflow automation. This comprehensive approach addresses the complete clinical challenge rather than isolated components.

Conclusion

For healthcare organizations committed to lung cancer early detection and optimal patient outcomes, Optellum Virtual Nodule Clinic offers validated AI technology that transforms nodule management from reactive, error-prone manual processes into proactive, systematic, evidence-based care. With FDA approval, Medicare reimbursement, and proven real-world results, VNC represents the gold standard in AI-powered lung cancer early diagnosis.