IBM Watson providing superior cancer treatment plans

Next Big Future ^ | Feb 8, 2013 | Brian Wang

[wally_bert]

Until a few months ago, I had never tangled with it.

The id file, the names nsf file, reverting to original passwords when moving users over, so frustrating. It is the worst. Heaven forbid a precious and never used contact doesn’t show up. I had a few rounds of getting them to stay in one user’s account.

[VanShuyten]

On the bright side, Watson could pull together information from 100,000s cases and see connections among treatments that work that the individual oncologist might not know exist, leading to better outcomes. For example, the results of a couple of simple tests usually not associated with cancer screening, combined with some patient history might lead Watson to recommend a course of treatment that the doctor wouldn’t have considered, even though Watson shows that that treatment for patients with those test results has a better chance of working.

[shove_it]

Big Blue Boss, Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

[imardmd1]

Sure you can do a demo that wow’s the punters but somehow most of these demos never really make it all the way to daily life.

You mean like, ah, a personal computer?

[ItsForTheChildren]

Analyzes treatment requests and matches them to WellPoint’s medical policies and clinical guidelines...

Hmmm...

[wideminded]

Besides assisting in focusing patient treatment options, I wonder if the system could be used just to synthesize important conclusions (that have not yet been noticed) from the massive amount of biomedical research.

[Wolfie]

Ah, then not to worry. We all know health insurance companies never refuse to pay for treatment.

[Vince Ferrer]

On the bright side, Watson could pull together information from 100,000s cases and see connections among treatments that work that the individual oncologist might not know exist, leading to better outcomes. For example, the results of a couple of simple tests usually not associated with cancer screening, combined with some patient history might lead Watson to recommend a course of treatment that the doctor wouldn't’t have considered, even though Watson shows that that treatment for patients with those test results has a better chance of working.

That is the intention. Watson will have continuous access to the latest research. Every doctor you go to received a good education, but that education may be ten or twenty years old. Watson will be able to diagnose from the latest findings, and will be able to synthesize answers from more research than any one doctor would be able to read in a lifetime.