AGA launches AI-powered virtual assistant for gastroenterology and hepatology care

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) today announced the launch of Nigel, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistant developed exclusively for gastroenterology and hepatology. Built using AGA's trusted clinical guidance and developed in collaboration with experts Dennis L. Shung, MD, MHS, PhD, Bradly C. Stadie, PhD, and Aly T. Strauss, MD, MIE, Nigel provides clinicians with fast, evidence-based answers designed for the complexities of digestive disease care. 

As a gastroenterologist, I need answers I can trust at the point of care. Nigel delivers exactly that: guideline-grounded responses in seconds that leave me more confident in my clinical decisions, not wondering where the information came from." 

Russ Arjal, MD, AGAF, and at-large development and growth councillor for the AGA Governing Board

Nigel serves as a trusted digital colleague by: 

• Delivering concise, evidence-based answers informed by AGA clinical guidelines and clinical practice updates.

• Interpreting and summarizing AGA's Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE)-based clinical guideline recommendations. 

• Providing supporting evidence and relevant research to inform clinical decisions. 

• Helping clinicians validate diagnostic and treatment decisions. 

• Delivering answers within seconds during patient care. 

Unlike general AI tools trained on broad internet data, Nigel is built on AGA's peer-reviewed clinical guidelines, structured around the GRADE evidence framework, and vetted by a panel of GI and liver experts to ensure clinical accuracy. The platform provides transparent, guideline-informed clinical guidance that notes the strength of the available evidence and areas of uncertainty. 

"When clinical questions arise, clinicians need answers they can trust," said Dr. Aly T. Strauss, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. "Nigel combines AGA's evidence-based guidance with the expertise of leading gastroenterology and hepatology specialists to provide rapid, reliable clinical support at the point of care. Our goal is to help clinicians spend less time searching for information and more time caring for patients." 

In addition to supporting clinical decision-making, Nigel may help reduce clinicians' cognitive burden by enabling them to: 

• Access current evidence quickly at the point of care. 

• Reduce time spent conducting literature searches. 

• Stay current as clinical guidelines evolve. 

• Focus more attention on patient care while helping mitigate burnout. 

Nigel's knowledge base is updated in real time as AGA publishes new clinical guidance and as emerging evidence changes clinical recommendations, ensuring users always have access to the latest evidence-based guidance.