The situation
Tufts Medical Center’s Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry processes thousands of medical abstracts annually in a formerly manual way. This process was slow, costly, and inconsistent, diverting skilled researchers from higher-value work.
The challenge
Their previously manual, labor-intensive effort required two expert reviewers per article at 5–10 minutes each. A scalable, cost-effective AI solution was needed to streamline this workflow while maintaining human-level expertise.
The solution
Imarc developed an AI assistant that consumes abstracts and can be asked a set of standard questions, which in turn fills out a survey. This AI-powered assistant works with PubMed and health databases, enabling automated abstract classification, survey completion, and cross-referencing of related data—delivering speed, accuracy, and scalability.
The AI assistant replicates expert decision-making and is capable of:
- Processing abstracts in seconds (vs. 5–10 minutes)
- Filling out structured surveys automatically
- Cross-referencing medical and economic data
- Adapting to Tufts’ evolving classification criteria
The AI assistant ensures high accuracy and minimal human intervention—a breakthrough in research efficiency.
The results
Imarc helped Tufts take a phased approach to implementation aimed at maximum impact. So far, we’ve executed phase one and hope to move into phase two when Tufts is ready:
- Phase 1: AI-assisted review – AI-supported human reviewers filling out structured surveys and refining decision-making models.
- Phase 2: Full automation – AI took over 100% of initial screenings, categorizing abstracts upon import.
The future
Tufts’ success demonstrates the power of AI-driven automation in academic and healthcare research—cutting costs, increasing speed, and improving accuracy at scale. Imarc’s AI assistant has redefined how medical abstracts are processed, setting the stage for the future of automated research.
With AI handling routine tasks, Tufts’ researchers can now:
- Focus on complex cases and policy research
- Accelerate decision-making with faster insights
- Reduce burnout and improve research quality
By eliminating manual bottlenecks, Tufts has set a new standard for research efficiency—proving that AI enhances, not replaces, human expertise.