How AI & Data are Advancing the Medical Field
Meera Blueprint 11.5.2020
On several occasions we have discussed how big data is changing the world in the context of business, but how is it affecting humans on a physical level?
Soon, the days of checking-in at a doctor’s office, misdiagnosis, and long-form surgeries will be gone. This is all stemming from AI and big data opening the doors for patients and doctors alike.
Let’s go through these data points one by one.
The doctor’s office quarrel is an easy answer and it’s just one word: Teledoc. But wait! It gets a lot more interesting.
A newer face in medical technology is Google. Google is now in the business of creating predictive medical technology that has been tested to be more accurate than traditional models. Hospitals have long used data in their analysis for determining the likelihood of a patient’s survival but have had varied results.
These varied results are from maintaining and summarizing medical data for patients. Hospitals have only recently begun to use the cloud for storage. It is estimated that the hospital’s present-day models spend about 80% of the time on data sourcing and presentation. This is where Google strives, they do not have to worry about sourcing or presenting the data. It is in the system and will be spit out in the same format every time.
In one test, Google’s algorithm analyzed over 150,000 data points to make their prediction. These data points come from medical history, handwritten notes, and real-time tests. Google has access to over 46 billion pieces of electronic health data. When leveraging this network, it is not outlandish to think that hospitals would partner with Google for other types of diagnosis rather than purely survival rates as Google’s algorithm continues to progress. Pairing this with their Fitbit acquisition only makes their medical/health push more realistic in the future. Data is king.
The removal of invasive long surgery is already here and gaining steam quickly. This is almost entirely concentrated in Intuitive Surgical, but there is a lot of room for competitors to enter the space, it is set up to be a massive opportunity. About 15% of all surgeries are operated by a machine. What makes this special?
Machine operated surgeries are a win-win-win. Obviously, the manufacturing company gets a win from the sale and recurring revenue. But the hospital arguably gets a larger win. These minimally invasive surgeries increase the patient’s recovery time, giving the hospital more patient turnover and more revenue. Patients are happy to get back on the streets quickly, plus reduced pain, lower infection rates, reduced blood loss, and minimal scarring.
What these systems have that can not be replicated is the data portion on human surgery. These machines have seen thousands of surgeries on what works, what does not, and how to handle difficult situations unbiasedly. This is invaluable in making life or death decisions.
It is hard to tell how much data and AI-driven decisions will be adopted in the medical field. There has to be a morality question whether or not machines can be trusted to save/diagnose human life, but the ball has already started rolling. You can not put pandora back in the box, you can only try and contain it.
Would you be comfortable with a machine performing surgery on you? What about Google giving your doctor the likelihood of survival that could affect the care you receive? These are the questions to wrestle with when thinking about this kind of technology adoption. Let us know your answers to these questions, we’d love to hear your opinions on the topic!
Learn Something
Google’s AI Patient Prediction: https://www.investopedia.com/news/google-ai-beats-hospitals-patient-predictions/
Benefits of Robotic Surgery: https://www.uchealth.com/services/robotic-surgery/patient-information/benefits/
2020 Medical Trends: https://www.greenlightmedical.com/2020-medical-technology-trends/
AI in Medicine: http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2019/artificial-intelligence-in-medicine-applications-implications-and-limitations/