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IBM Watson announces new global collaborative
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IBM Watson Health announced the launch of a new medical imaging collaborative with 16 partners that will bring the computer power of Watson, a cloud computer that can analyze high volumes of data, to health care professionals worldwide, according to a company press release.
The collaborative includes health systems, academic medical centers, radiology centers and imaging technology companies. The group aims to aide health care professionals in improving care and reducing waste by providing easily accessible data through Watson’s cognitive computing, which will enable physicians to make personalized and evidence-backed recommendations to their patients.
“With the ability to draw insights from massive volumes of integrated structure and unstructured data sources, cognitive computing could transform how clinicians diagnose, treat and monitor patients,” Ann Le Grand, vice president of Imaging for Watson Health, said in the release. “Through IBM’s medical imaging collaborative, Watson may create opportunities for clinicians to extract great insights and value from imaging data while better managing costs.”
The goal for the initiative is for Watson, which continuously learns by gaining knowledge over time, to be trained by the collaborators through imported anonymized patient data that is used to help diagnose patients and recommend treatment in the future.
Information that can be added to Watson’s database includes data from electronic health records, radiology and pathology reports, lab results, progress notes, medical journals, clinical care guidelines and published outcome studies. Combined with real-world experience from the collaborative partners, this information could help improve physician workflow and provide better care for patients, according to the company.