Speakers and attendees of AIMed North America 2018 come from all walks of life. Interestingly, between 13 and 15 December when the event took place in Dana Point, California, they explored one particular topic in a rather collective manner.

That is data.

Most delegates regard data as a commodity rather than an asset. The support for open sources was massive. Specifically, Dr. Lynda Chin, associate vice chancellor and chief information officer of the University of Texas said in one of the panel sessions that artificial intelligence (AI) needs data so it’s natural for us to think of the infrastructure to work them.

Dr. Leo Anthony Celi, principal research scientist from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, added in another panel session that there are many data out there but not many of them are ready to be shared, making it hard to replicate previous research. AIMed founder and chief intelligence and innovation officer of Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Dr. Anthony Chang candidly referred physicians are from Venue and data scientists are from Mars, highlighting the importance of the duo to work together.

Of all, the most important yet least mention topic surrounding this enthusiasm was how to safeguard data.

From electronic guardian to patients safety

Dr. Stefan Ulbrich, Principal research scientist of Acceptto Corporation pinpointed the challenges in a session addressing how to eliminate preventable harm on 14 December. Data in hospital are heterogeneous, fragmented, coming in high volume and vastly rigid within requirements and regulations. Adding to the challenges, traditional methods of accessing these data via the use of password, make them ever vulnerable to spoof or breach.

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Dr. Stefan Ulbrich, Principal Research Scientist, Acceptto Corporation

Seizing the loophole, a group of researchers had set out to change the way personal information is being accessed. Acceptto, the brainchild, is a cybersecurity company which provides uninterrupted safekeeping service for one’s identity access and real-time threat analysis using biobehavioral authentication technology powered by AI and machine learning (ML).

The company is bringing their expertise a level higher by securing the safety of patients in hospitals. Together with Intel, Acceptto has come up with a smart patient room monitoring system called AmbiC. As Dr. Ulbrich explained, AmbiC runs on a computer assisted tele sitting, whereby static videos are available to keep track of high risk patients, to ensure their needs are taken care of round the clock.

AmbiC also provides thumbnails for low-risk patients and highlight dynamic areas for raised attention. Operators will be alerted on precise movements and cue actions, they will be given additional attention on precise area rather than having to monitor many rooms at once. There is also a noise cancelling feature so that the operator will not be distracted by what is continuously going on in patients’ room.

Machine-human as the key to eliminate preventable harm

This new patient monitoring system is smart not because of its multiple features but “taking the wealth of technology to work closely with partners and industry to meet the needs of care providers”, said Chris Gough, Chief Solution Architect of Intel Health & Life Sciences at AIMed North America 2018.

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The importance of machine-human collaboration

During his speech, Acceptto’s Chief Executive Officer Shahrokh Shahidzadeh asked the audience to think about the top seven reasons disturbing our lives and how many of them can be eliminated or prevented. Preventable harm often kicks in when people know of the threats but taking no action to combat against them.

Shahidzadeh believe the use of AIML is a way we can eliminate these preventable harm, to shape the future of healthcare and improve its overall quality. However, before we take that big leap, there is a need to focus on a mixture of experts, the inclusion of machines and human.

“Everyone thinks that when you use AIML, you become a unicorn. Many think that AIML is the solution for everything but it is the mixture of experts – coexistence – which make every pony a unicorn,” said Shahidzadeh.

Author Bio

Hazel Tangsynthetic gene empathy chinese artificial intelligence data medicine healthcare ai

A science writer with data background and an interest in current affair, culture and arts; a no-med from an (almost) all-med family. Follow on Twitter.