New York City-based NYU Langone Health researchers have developed an AI tool that predicts which emergency department trauma patients will develop post-traumatic stress disorder based on patients’ answers to the routine intake question of what brought them to the ED, according to a study published Nov. 9 in Nature Communications.
The tool, called PREVIA, analyzed recorded narratives from 145 ED patients and correctly identified more than 95.4% of those at risk. In a head-to-head comparison, PREVIA flagged all 30 patients in that group who went on to develop PTSD. An ED clinician specializing in the disorder identified 89%.
The findings target a screening gap. About 43 million U.S. patients visit EDs each year with physical injuries, and past studies show more than a quarter later develop PTSD. Yet only about 28% of EDs routinely screen for the condition. Researchers said that gap likely reflects overcrowding and the 15 to 20 minutes clinicians typically have per patient.
PREVIA layers several open-source large language models, including Llama and Mistral, to weigh trauma symptoms, risk factors and protective factors such as social support. It then produces a risk score with a plain-language explanation. Researchers validated results against the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, the gold-standard diagnostic interview.
“PREVIA can serve as an AI screener that identifies at-risk patients and explains why,” said senior study author Katharina Schultebraucks, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and population health at NYU Langone.
Dr. Schultebraucks said the tool requires no training or fine-tuning, so other hospitals can test it independently without proprietary software or NYU Langone patient data.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
