IBM Watson Health to Invest USD 50 Million for Advancing AI in Healthcare
|
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 01 Mar 2019 |
IBM Watson Health (Armonk, NY, USA) plans to invest USD 50 million in joint research collaborations with Brigham and Women’s Hospital — the teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School — and Vanderbilt University Medical Center over a 10-year period to advance the science of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application to major public health issues.
The scientific collaborations will focus on critical health problems that are ideally suited for AI solutions. Initial areas of study are expected to include the use of AI to improve the utility of electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data to address significant public health issues like patient safety, precision medicine and health equity. The research will also explore physician and patient user experience and interactions with AI technologies.
“Building on the MIT-IBM Watson Lab announced last year, this collaboration is part of IBM Watson Health’s longstanding commitment to scientific research and our belief that working together with the world’s leading institutions is the fastest path to develop, advance, and understand practical solutions that solve some of the world’s biggest health challenges,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, vice president and chief health officer at IBM Watson Health. “Today, for example, physicians are spending an average of two hours with their electronic health records and deskwork for every hour of patient care, a phenomenon the American Medical Association says is leading to a steady increase in physician burnout. AI is the most powerful technology we have today to tackle issues like this one, but there is still a great deal of work to be done to demystify the real role of AI in healthcare with practical, proven results and clear-cut best practices. By putting the full force of our clinical and research team together with two of the world’s leading academic medical centers, we will dramatically accelerate the development of real-world AI solutions that improve workflow efficiencies and outcomes.”
“We all know that the future of health belongs to AI but, today, health around the globe is siloed and not actionable making timely insights difficult to obtain,” said David Bates, MD, MS, chief of general internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Through AI, we have an opportunity to do better and our hope is to find new ways through science and partnerships with industry leaders like Watson Health to unlock the full potential of AI to improve the utility of the EHR and claims data to address major public health issues like patient safety.”
Related Links:
IBM Watson Health
The scientific collaborations will focus on critical health problems that are ideally suited for AI solutions. Initial areas of study are expected to include the use of AI to improve the utility of electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data to address significant public health issues like patient safety, precision medicine and health equity. The research will also explore physician and patient user experience and interactions with AI technologies.
“Building on the MIT-IBM Watson Lab announced last year, this collaboration is part of IBM Watson Health’s longstanding commitment to scientific research and our belief that working together with the world’s leading institutions is the fastest path to develop, advance, and understand practical solutions that solve some of the world’s biggest health challenges,” said Kyu Rhee, MD, vice president and chief health officer at IBM Watson Health. “Today, for example, physicians are spending an average of two hours with their electronic health records and deskwork for every hour of patient care, a phenomenon the American Medical Association says is leading to a steady increase in physician burnout. AI is the most powerful technology we have today to tackle issues like this one, but there is still a great deal of work to be done to demystify the real role of AI in healthcare with practical, proven results and clear-cut best practices. By putting the full force of our clinical and research team together with two of the world’s leading academic medical centers, we will dramatically accelerate the development of real-world AI solutions that improve workflow efficiencies and outcomes.”
“We all know that the future of health belongs to AI but, today, health around the globe is siloed and not actionable making timely insights difficult to obtain,” said David Bates, MD, MS, chief of general internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Through AI, we have an opportunity to do better and our hope is to find new ways through science and partnerships with industry leaders like Watson Health to unlock the full potential of AI to improve the utility of the EHR and claims data to address major public health issues like patient safety.”
Related Links:
IBM Watson Health
Latest AI News
- Algorithm Identifies Cardiac Arrest Hotspots to Guide AED Placement
- AI Analysis of Pericardial Fat Refines Long-Term Heart Disease Risk
- Machine Learning Approach Enhances Liver Cancer Risk Stratification
- New AI Approach Monitors Brain Health Using Passive Wearable Data
- AI Tool Maps Early Risk Patterns in Bloodstream Infections
- AI Model Identifies Rare Endocrine Disorder from Hand Images
- AI Tool Promises to Reduce Length of Hospital Stays and Free Up Beds
Channels
Artificial Intelligence
view channel
Algorithm Identifies Cardiac Arrest Hotspots to Guide AED Placement
Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest is common and usually fatal, and survival depends on rapid defibrillation. Many communities deploy automated external defibrillators without precise guidance, which... Read moreAI Analysis of Pericardial Fat Refines Long-Term Heart Disease Risk
Accurately identifying long-term cardiovascular disease risk in asymptomatic adults remains challenging for clinicians. Missed or underestimated risk delays preventive therapy and increases the chance... Read moreCritical Care
view channel
AI Tool Predicts Post-Therapy Barrett’s Esophagus Recurrence
Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer with high mortality. After endoscopic eradication therapy, disease can recur, making long-term surveillance... Read more
New Technology Turns Earbuds into Sensors for Cardiac Function Tracking
Continuous assessment of cardiac mechanics outside the clinic remains difficult because existing tools often require chest-mounted sensors and brief, supervised recordings. Missed early changes in valve... Read moreSurgical Techniques
view channelEndovascular Stent Graft Enables Minimally Invasive Aortic Arch Repair
Open repair of aortic arch disease is complex and carries substantial risk for patients with significant comorbidities. Many individuals are not candidates for surgery, and endovascular options for this... Read more
Dynamic Pressure Overlay Reduces Perioperative Pressure Injuries
Perioperative pressure injuries are a persistent risk during long procedures, particularly when repositioning is limited. Time in the operating room beyond two hours is cited as an intrinsic risk factor,... Read more
Pulsed Field Ablation System Streamlines Atrial Fibrillation Procedures
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting more than 50 million people worldwide and straining capacity for rhythm-control procedures. Electrophysiology teams continue to seek... Read more
Single-Use System Enables Minimally Invasive Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is frequently driven by hypertrophic bone that narrows the canal and produces pain. Conventional decompression often relies on larger incisions and bulky retractors, adding time,... Read morePatient Care
view channel
Wearable Sleep Data Predict Adherence to Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term lung disorder that makes breathing difficult and often disturbs sleep, reducing energy for daily activities. Limited engagement in pulmonary... Read more
Revolutionary Automatic IV-Line Flushing Device to Enhance Infusion Care
More than 80% of in-hospital patients receive intravenous (IV) therapy. Every dose of IV medicine delivered in a small volume (<250 mL) infusion bag should be followed by subsequent flushing to ensure... Read moreHealth IT
view channel
Automated System Classifies and Tracks Cardiogenic Shock Across Hospital Settings
Cardiogenic shock remains a difficult, time-sensitive emergency, with delayed identification driving poor outcomes and persistently high mortality. Many cases go undocumented even at advanced stages, hindering... Read more
Voice-Driven AI System Enables Structured GI Procedure Documentation
Documentation during gastrointestinal (GI) procedures often competes with real-time clinical decision-making and imposes a significant cognitive burden on physicians. Manual data entry and post-procedure... Read more
EMR-Based Tool Predicts Graft Failure After Kidney Transplant
Kidney transplantation offers patients with end-stage kidney disease longer survival and better quality of life than dialysis, yet graft failure remains a major challenge. Although a successful transplant... Read more
Printable Molecule-Selective Nanoparticles Enable Mass Production of Wearable Biosensors
The future of medicine is likely to focus on the personalization of healthcare—understanding exactly what an individual requires and delivering the appropriate combination of nutrients, metabolites, and... Read moreBusiness
view channel
External Liver Assist System Receives FDA RMAT Designation
Acute liver failure can develop over days to weeks and is often fatal when transplantation is not possible or unavailable. Although some patients recover spontaneously, many deteriorate rapidly amid a... Read more







