IBM computer in medical applications

Kohn, chief medical scientist of care delivery systems at IBM Research, gave the audience at FutureMed an in-depth look at the medical applications of Watson, which famously bested human competition in Jeopardy! about a year ago. While this IBM computer now only understands English, in the future it could understand multiple languages, which it can leverage to process even more data. This capability could be used to improve physicians' ability to practice evidence-based care. It could also be employed to help physicians navigate the much-discussed and ever-increasing sea of data. If a patient comes into a hospital complaining of feeling dizzy, Watson could suggest follow-up questions that the doctor could ask the patient to improve the chance of making the right diagnosis. From The Atlantic.

The IBM computer Watson could also could help clinicians sort through electronic health records (EHR) data to find out what is the most relevant to improve patient care. Meanwhile new EHR certification rules proposed by HHS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will offer physicians and hospitals more flexibility in providing healthcare. Medical can use the same set of clinical quality measures to qualify both for the EHR incentive program and in applications for Medicare by the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).