averywoods15-blog

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Robots performing surgery.  Watch this video and it will fascinate you how far the technology has advanced in the past twenty years.  I can't wait to see what the next twenty years look like.

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Artificial Intelligence has been improving by leaps and bounds in the last decade.  The ideal of speaking to a robot is not as far of a far fetched ideal as it once was.  The fact of the matter is that computers don’t have feelings, show no emotions, and can be, for a lack of better word, robotic!  Until recently they could respond to commands, but only in the exact form they were programmed to understand.  That is all starting to change.  According to the article, new techniques in applied mathematics and computer science are being used to create machines that can learn without being explicitly programmed.  Basically they can think for themselves.  This has potentially revolutionary consequences!  How do you fell about these advancements in artificial intelligence? Is this safe?

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There has been an influx of money into innovations that will change the landscape of the medical industry.  Take a look at the Top 50 digital health innovations that will transform healthcare.

Top 50 + Digital Health Innovations That Will Transform Healthcare

Digital Health has had a major boom recently. Investors are  pouring money into companies that may bring them a win. I think this area has great promise.

Technology is transforming healthcare and the investments from investors are becoming more and more popular.  You have seen articles around the web on apps for kidney transplants, digital tools that help companies offer better healthcare and using the internet for questions to health answers of doctors.

Companies like Rockhealth and Blueprint Health are shaping this area of healthcare.Applied Proteomics just received and investment of $28 million from Genting Berhad, Domain Associates, Vulcan Capital.

Check it out:

Top 50 + Digital Health Innovations That Will Transform Healthcare

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“Modern medicine is a miracle, its just evenly distributed”.  This quote speaks directly to why I believe there is a need for much more artificial intelligence in the medical industry.  But there are three central challenges that have plagued the overall acceptance of artificial intelligence in the past.  We have a label problem, the fear around regulation and finally the deployment problem.  This blog attempts to go further in depth about the problems surrounding the challenges of artificial intelligence in the medical industry.

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One of the biggest complaints about Artificial Intelligence in the examining rooms are cold, feelingless super-computers.  However,  computers are becoming more and more like humans everyday. This is mainly due to their ability read unstructured information.  “Suppose a patient says he doesn't smoke.  His doctor checks ‘no’ in a box–structured data, easily captured by a machine. But then the doctor notes that the patient’s teeth are discolored or that there are nicotine stains on his fingers–a clue that the patient in fact does smoke. Soon a computer may be able to highlight such discrepancies, bringing to the fore information that otherwise might have been overlooked.”  If I were that person I would be either really amazed, or really freaked out!  AI can possibly change the landscape of the medical profession forever.  But, as with telemedicine, many challenges remain.  There is a tremendous cost associated with doing R&D.  Records systems are not compatible, and its difficult to build a repository for vast amounts of data. 

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Much like any quickly evolving technology, such as tele-medicine, there are systemic issues that remain as potential barriers to fully realizes the potential of this technology.  A tremendous barrier to wider use of telemedicine and distance care is the issue of physicians licensure.  As it stands right now, there is no such thing as a “national medical license.” The problem of physicians practicing across state lines needs to be addressed.  Privacy and protection of personal patient information is a huge concern in telemedicine as well.  There have been numerous data breaches of hospitals in the news lately and this is a reoccuring problem that needs to be addressed. 

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Would you let a robot operate on you?  Do you trust a machine to deliver the same expertise that a highly trained surgeon to deliver, to make the correct decisions in the name of your well-being?   

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One concern that imediately comes to mind when discussing the disadvantages of telemedicine is the impact on the doctor-patient relationship.  According to a study one of the key reasons was concern over how telemedicine would affect the relationship with patients. In her article Chen goes on to say: “...acceptance will first require redefining the patient-doctor relationship in light of this new use of technology. Telemedicine and the idea of unseen clinicians in a remote “control room” doling out care is scary…”  Although the interaction between the patient and the doctor will inevitably change because of the technology I don't see this as a bad thing.  We as society must adapt to the changing times.  How is communicating with a doctor via Skype any different than communicating with the doctor via email? 

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There is no denying that tele-medicine has the potential to reduce healthcare cost while simultaneously delivering medical services to underserved or rural communities.  But what about the challenges and obstacles that come along with tele-medicine?  One notable obstacle is the lack of connectivity that continues to be challenging for many forms of telemedicine.  Many of these rural areas that tele-medicine is an ideal option for simply does not have the infrastructure for this to be successful.  Tele-medicine requires a broadband connection that is 100% reliable.  It simply can not malfunction.  Imagine having a video teleconference with your doctor and he is telling you critical information and the connection is lost?  Knowing this challenge, I believe that we are still quite a ways off from being able to fully implement telemedicine and offer it to everyone in every part of the country.  There are still places in NOVA that you can not get a certain cable providers because of the lack of connectivity, and the DC metro is a major cosmopolitan city.

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Here are 10 ways that artificial intelligence can make a good doctor a great doctor.  In my opinion, to be a great doctor you need to be smart, caring, a great communicator, and empathetic just to name a few.  But the amount of medical data keeps growing and growing; and time for dealing with patients and information is getting less and less.  How is one expected to keep up with the vast information of data without help?  Artificial intelligence is the answer. And the consumer should embrace this technology if they want unparalleled treatment from doctors that will use all possible resources to properly diagnose you.

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One reason why telemedicine hasn't taken off is because of the cost associated with it.  While there are technologies that may eventually reduce the cost of providing health care services, the up front cost is extremely expensive.  For example for, Cisco’s high-end telepresence conferencing system that is sold to companies to replicate a boardroom cost in excess of $300,000.  Even though the initial investment sounds high, the rising cost of health care and the predictions that these cost will continue to rise would “cripple the nation” and have made us aware that we should begin to seek nontraditional solutions.  Is society ready to invest in telemedicine now to reduce the cost of healthcare in the future? The article gives a very relevant example of where the cost savings can be realized. “Nurses and doctors are in short supply in some places, so depending on the level of care that is being provided, the system can be manned by less expensive resources.”

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This piece addresses one of the most common misconception people have about telemedicine.  An often talked about misnomers is that patients will not get a proper physical examination? The argument is not against the nature of physical exams, but what the author argues against is saying that the lack of ability to perform a “complete” physical examination is a reason to invalidate telemedicine. It’s simply not true for three main reasons which piece examines.  

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A couple of very interesting reads and the importance of telemedicine and the role that it will play in the medical profession moving forward.  One advantage, and I don't think anyone would disagree, is the access that telemedicine gives to individuals in rural areas around the world.  Many times people go untreated simply because of the proximately that they are to the closest medical facility.  Using a service such as TeleDoc eliminates that worry.  Secondly there is a tremendous cost savings that one may see.  An average trip to the ER can sometimes cost as much as $1000. There are loads of documented cases of people going to the ER for the flu, the common cold, sinus problems, etc.  Many of the ailments that are being treated in the ER can be treated via a tele doctor.

The age of telemedicine is upon us. Here’s WIRED’s take on it from a business, design, and scientific perspective:

Video Is About to Become the Way We All Visit the Doctor

Why Telemedicine Needs to Redesign the Doctor’s Appointment

The Science of Telemedicine: A Lifesaver in the Right Place

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All to often there are patients that have been misdiagnosed.  This is extremely alarming when you think that the proper diagnoses can be a matter or live and death.  Receiving the proper medical treatment based on the correct evaluation is critical to maintaining and striving for a healthy life.  Take for example heart disease.  Getting treatment for this depends on a diagnosis from doctors who can occasionally miss the the subtle signs of trouble.  IBM thinks it can help the medical industry through artificial intelligence. “For the first time, IBM’s Watson will be looking over medical data that includes images, x-rays, and other types of visuals used by medical professionals.”  But they the amazing thing about IBM’s Watson is that it will do it in a fraction of the time and with unprecedented accuracy.  Early identification is a game changer!  All to often diagnosis are made too late and often times made inaccurately.

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There is much debate on the accuracy of having a physical examination performed by a doctor in his or her office vs. having an examination done by a doctor who is performing this examination remotely through telemedicine.  This article discusses a study that measured the accuracy diagnosis performed by both types of doctors. "The results are clear— examination findings achieved with TytoCare are on par with those reached by conventional examination tools," stated Professor Waisman. "Beyond that, the quality of the readings as well as the overall user experience received positive ratings from physicians, a great testament to the solution's promise to provide accurate and confident diagnoses via telehealth technology."

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This diagram speaks directly to the time savings that individuals realize when they remove the unnecessary steps when wanting to schedule a doctors visit.

Removing Doctor-Patient Barriers with Mobile Health - Infographic

With all the different benefits that mobile health can bring to health care, one can imagine it…

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