PREDiCTOR Study Engages AI in Potential to Diagnose From Clinical Conversations

René S. Kahn, MD, PhD, Chair of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is colead on a new study aimed at introducing objective measures in psychiatry. "The PREDiCTOR study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)... the foundation of the study is trying to develop objective measures in psychiatry, because the problem in psychiatry is that most of our assessments are subjective," explained Kahn. Unlike other medical fields that rely on tangible biomarkers, psychiatric diagnoses often depend on clinician interpretation. The PREDiCTOR study aims to change that through artificial intelligence (AI).

The study employs audio-visual recordings of psychiatric interviews, leveraging AI to analyze speech and facial expressions. “What we try to do is essentially make objective the feeling that we as clinicians have when we see a patient, whether patients are doing well, do better or do worse,” Kahn said. This innovative approach allows researchers to detect subtle indicators that may predict patient outcomes more accurately than traditional methods.

One of the study's key objectives is to assess whether AI can predict three critical psychiatric outcomes. "One is the patient coming back for treatment... The second one is, are they being hospitalized... And the third, pretty similar, is whether they go to the emergency room for any issue," Kahn said. By identifying these markers early, clinicians may be able to intervene more effectively, potentially improving long-term patient care.

The large-scale study, funded with a $20 million grant from the NIMH, is being conducted across Mount Sinai’s extensive network of hospitals and outpatient clinics. With a sample size of over 2,100 patients aged 15 to 45, the research seeks to revolutionize psychiatric assessment, making it more precise and data driven.

The most anticipated challenge, Kahn said, was getting consent from patients to be recorded. However, a pilot study of 31 patients found that 93.5% of patients agreed. Clinician consent will be needed as well, which was not tested in the pilot study. However, Kahn said it was reassuring to see how willing patients were to be included.

This is part 1 of a multipart series. You can watch the full interview here.

Dr Kahn is the Esther and Joseph Klingenstein Professor, System Chair of Psychiatry, and Inaugural Director of the Blau Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.