Friday, May 26, 2017

How AI Spots Early Warnings of Disease

AI could soon help you stay healthy longer. Thanks to GPUs and deep learning, physicians can predict the onset of diseases far earlier than is now possible, simply by analyzing patient electronic health records (EHRs). “We’re moving from treatment to prevention,” said Narges Razavian, a professor at New York University’s Langone School of Medicine. “We want to know, is this person at risk for something and can we predict it?”

In a talk at this month’s GPU Technology Conference, Razavian explained how her NYU team predicted 200 ailments three months faster than traditional methods by analyzing EHRs such as lab tests, doctors’ notes and X-rays. Razavian’s deep learning software accurately predicted heart failure, severe kidney disease, liver problems, diabetes and hormone-related conditions based on just 18 common lab measurements captured over three years.