Compassion and Computers

Recent news that IBM's supercomputer "Watson" has teamed up with Memorial Sloan Kettering in patient care provides a nice introduction to a blog series on compassion and computers.

Watson is the name of a powerful computer program developed to aid physicians in their clinical decision making. The operative word is "aid" --  not "replace."

As summarized by IBM, Watson has "the potential to help transform the quality and speed of care — and the entire healthcare industry —  through individualized evidence-based medicine."

This 8-minute video demonstration can do more to allay fears and inspire new hope than any words I could put together on this blog. In summary...

• Doctors input information about a patient's medical history, test findings and preferences for treatment.
• Watson accesses all available information on the patient's medical situation to suggest further questions and/or diagnostic tests.
• Doctors input the additional information and test results.
• Watson provides the likely diagnosis and treatment options with qualifiers about confidence.
• Doctors review Watson's conclusions and then make a treatment decision together.

The key advantages include...

• Rapid retrieval of patient's test results
• Rapid retrieval of pertinent medical information available online
• Confidence measures for treatment options
• Flexibility with patient preferences

Next: disadvantages and concerns

Comments

[Bill Kleine]

Computers are great at sifting through myriads of data--very useful tools. A doctor's hands, however, can sense things no data point will reveal. More, a doctor's touch can convey a healing in a way no pill delivers. I eagerly await more "smart" medical computers for they will prove powerful in the hands of doctors.

[follower of your blog]

This post hit home. A dear friend, nonsmoker like the woman exemplified in the video, died of lung cancer this week. Had Watson been available to her doctors (cancer was not even considered for lengthy initial back pain), the cancer might have been found earlier. She was first put on chemo, which did no good except to have her lose her hair and make her sicker. Then she was put on a targeted therapy, which extended her life by several months; she was alive for the birth of her 4th grandchild.