IBM、微软与医疗保健的未来

由 Rob EnderleNov 9， 2020 5：00 上午 PT

https://www.technewsworld.com/story/86911.html

医疗保健是一团糟，这种情况不仅出现在美国，而且在大多数国家都是如此。在这个数据丰富的时代，一些最大的问题是缺乏互操作性和基于事实的建议。两家积极试图解决这个问题的公司是IBM和微软。

IBM 将其Watson AI 专注于为医疗专业人员提供诊断工具，使他们能够更准确地诊断最神秘的疾病。

同时，微软最近推出了微软医疗保健云，为医生和专利提供了前所未有的数据访问。这两种解决方案采用不同的路径，有助于改善患者的体验和结果，同时降低成本。

让我们对比一下IBM和微软本周的医疗保健工作——我们将以我本周的产品结束：市场上最先进的电动摩托车。

IBM Watson与医疗保健

我见过适用于医疗保健问题的最强大的工具之一是 IBM 的 Watson 平台。它首先来到市场专注于这个部分，我有机会与这方面前沿的医生交谈。

他讲述了一个关于他几年前遇到一个病人的故事，没有人能诊断他痛苦的状况。野蛮的女人近乎恒定的极端痛苦在他的心里引起了共鸣，他多年来把时间用在诊断和解决她的问题上。事实证明，这是一种鲜为人知的、非常神秘的疾病，只有少数人听说过，更不用说能够诊断了。

因此，医生对当时新的沃森医疗实施的第一个测试是输入这个现在治愈的妇女的症状，看看沃森能否在可接受的时间水平达到相同的结果。在几分钟内，沃森发现了几种可能性，包括神秘的疾病。

尽管进行额外的测试，以确认哪些已识别的疾病是真正的痛苦之源需要几天的时间，最终结果将是同样的成功治疗，以及之后不久，减少病人多年的疼痛，如果不是几个小时，只有几天的时间。

这仍然是我听过的关于应用人工智能技术解决人类苦难的最有力的故事之一。它展示了IBM当时的重中之重，将精力集中在帮助人们上;为公司的人工智能信念奠定了基础： Ai 是作为人类的助手， 而不是替代者。

微软医疗保健云

微软为医院提供的新产品是独一无二的，因为它解决了IBM在努力攻克的一个问题：健康数据存储库之间集成和互操作性的缺乏。

我们努力保持健康数据的私密性，但似乎坏人还是能轻而易举地访问你的医疗数据，不论这些数据是为你，还是你的医生。即使是最好的 AI 也无法处理不会相互交谈或提供对 AI 工具的访问的数据源。微软的医疗保健云专注于解决数据互操作性问题，这也许是微软新的最佳技能。

几十年前，微软的互操作并不好，欧盟委员会表示，它需要解决这个问题，否则将被处以罚款。虽然微软最初反对这种努力，但它忽然顿悟并意识到，如果它是最好的交互操作，这可能是一个竞争优势，公司完全翻转到另一边。现在，微软和IBM一样，也接受了开源和Linux等概念，同时成为互操作性的拥护者。

我使用类似的工具在我的医疗保健上，虽然微软的数据访问和易用性似乎比我使用的好得多，相比之下我使用的似乎过时了。但是，Microsoft 的医疗保健云的最强部不在于患者和医生使用它有多容易，也不在于管理员设置它有多容易。这是 Microsoft 为在数据存储库之间实现无缝移动而做出的巨大努力。这种重点使医生、患者和 AIs 能够获得做出知情建议和决策所需的数据。

另一件事将这项计划分开：微软非常注重与志同道合的公司合作，以创建真正令人印象深刻的解决方案。你看，没有一家公司能够自行解决医疗问题。但微软正与超过55个合作伙伴合作，共同解决巨大的医疗保健问题。

包装：更好地在一起

令人着迷的是，微软和IBM之间曾经存在的最有力的合作关系之一，IBM创造了我们大多数人都了解的个人电脑。两家公司分离是因为他们的方式相似（两者都不喜欢分享），而且在技术上也有所不同。

两家公司都显著改变了他们的经营方式。两者现在都有大量的云工作，在技术上也更加相似。在文化上，它们与它很重要的地方相似。他们现在喜欢分享并有有体面的合作技能。

其结果是，这种新的微软驱动的医疗解决方案不仅得到了IBM的支持，而且得到了业内许多其他重要参与者的支持。通过合作，他们正在树立一个行业应该承认的榜样;因为大流行提醒我们，如果我们不关注医疗保健，我们的家庭、企业，尤其是我们的家庭，就会遭受损失。

达蒙电动摩托车

我开始骑摩托车之前，我得到了我的驾驶执照，我有两辆摩托车之前，我买了我的第一辆车。我唯一的从海岸到海岸的公路旅行是骑摩托车，直到几年前，我一直有一辆自行车。

我也是一个电动车迷和驾驶捷豹 I-Pace 作为我的主要车辆。因此，今年在CES上，我兴奋地看到了达蒙电动自行车的原型，我最近进行了升级。自行车不仅更好，但它现在智能化，使它更安全。

关于骑自行车，你学到的一个东西是，你必须驾驶防御性，因为，不像汽车，无论谁有过错，你很可能最终在医院或死亡，如果你是在事故中。帮助您导航和指出威胁的安全技术实际上可能会成为您的救命恩人，而这辆摩托车也有此安全科技。

这辆自行车也不是雪佛兰伏特。它的表现与超级跑车一样，范围和快速充电的体面组合使其适合公路旅行。是零到 60 时间是 3 秒。

既有趣又有趣的是，它可以从巡洋舰切换到一个变压器的赛车手，像变化，我从来没有见过在生产自行车。挡风玻璃、车把、座椅和踏板以电子方式调整，以适应巡视或速度。这种转换是好的，因为如果你曾经尝试驾驶自行车设置的速度长距离，你已经发现了真正的痛苦。我的手臂曾经锁定， 并在10 到 20 英里后开始难受， 更不用说一整天的车程。

这辆自行车大约4万美元，不是一个便宜的购买。但话又说回来，如果你曾经购买过一辆高性能汽车，除了科尔维特，价格很可能在 5到10倍 - 和高性能电动车相比那更多，除了特斯拉以外。

这个达蒙是摩托车与类似的溢价和先进的功能特斯拉。达蒙是一个真棒摩托车。它明年开始发货，这是我本周的产品。

IBM, Microsoft, and the Future of Healthcare

By Rob Enderle Nov 9, 2020 5:00 AM PT

https://www.technewsworld.com/story/86911.html

Healthcare is a mess, not just here in the U.S., but in most countries. Some of the biggest problems in this data-rich era are the lack of interoperability and fact-based advice. Two companies that stand out as aggressively trying to fix this are IBM and Microsoft.

IBM focused its Watson AI on providing medical professionals with diagnostic tools allowing them to diagnose even the most mysterious illnesses more accurately.

Simultaneously, Microsoft recently brought out its Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, providing unprecedented data access for both doctors and patents. Both solutions, using different paths, help to improve the patient experience and outcome while lowering costs.

Let's contrast IBM's and Microsoft's healthcare efforts this week -- and we'll close with my product of the week: the most advanced electric motorcycle on the market.

IBM Watson and Healthcare

One of the most powerful tools I've seen applied to the healthcare problem is IBM's Watson platform. It first came to the market focused on this segment, and I had a chance to talk with the doctor leading the effort.

He told a story about a patient he'd run into years earlier with a painful condition that no one could diagnose. The near-constant extreme pain that savaged the woman struck a chord in his heart, and he dedicated his time over the years to diagnose and solve her problem. It turned out to be a little-known and very mysterious disease that only a handful of people had heard of, let alone been able to diagnose.

So one of the doctor's first tests on the then-new Watson medical implementation was to input this now-cured woman's symptoms, to see if Watson could reach the same result in an acceptable level of time. Within minutes Watson identified several possibilities, including the mysterious illness.

Despite the fact that additional testing to confirm which of those identified illnesses was the true affliction would have taken several days, the end result would have been the same successful treatment soon thereafter -- and reduced the patient's years of pain to only days, if not hours.

This remains one of the most powerful stories I've ever heard about applied AI technology addressing human suffering. It showcased IBM's then-high priority to focus its efforts on helping people; and set a foundation for the company's AI belief today: AIs are best as assistants to humans, not as replacements.

Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare

Microsoft's new offering for hospitals is unique because it addresses a problem that IBM's effort also surfaced: the lack of integration and interoperability between health data repositories.

With all of the effort to keep health data private, it still looks like it could be just as easy for bad actors to access your medical data as it is for you, or your doctor. Even the best AI can't deal with data sources that won't talk to each other or provide access to the AI tool. Microsoft's Cloud for Healthcare focuses on fixing the data interoperability problem, which is perhaps Microsoft's new best skill.

A couple of decades ago Microsoft didn't interoperate well, and the European Commission said it needed to fix that or be fined out of business. While Microsoft initially fought this effort, it had an epiphany and realized that if it was the best at interoperation, that could be a competitive advantage, and the company completely flipped to the other side. Now Microsoft, like IBM which earlier made a similar flip, embraces concepts like Open Source and Linux -- along with being an interoperability champion.

I use a similar tool for my healthcare, though Microsoft's appears to be so much better about data access and ease of use than the one I'm using, which appears out-of-date by comparison. But the killer part of Microsoft's Cloud for Healthcare isn't how easy it is to use for patients and doctors, or how easy it is to set up for administrators. It's the massive effort Microsoft made to enable seamless movement between data repositories. This focus is so that doctors, patients, and AIs can get to the data they need to make informed recommendations and decisions.

One other thing separates this initiative: Microsoft's tremendous focus on partnering with like-minded companies to create a truly impressive solution. You see, no company is broad enough to fix the healthcare problem by itself. But Microsoft is working with more than 55 partners on this venture, and together, even the colossal healthcare problem is fixable.

Wrapping Up: Better Together

It is fascinating that one of the most potent partnerships that ever existed was between Microsoft and IBM, which created the personal computer as most of us know it. The two firms divorced because they were similar in the wrong way (neither liked to share), and different concerning where they were technologically.

Both companies have remarkably changed how they do business. Both now have substantial cloud efforts and are more similar technologically. Culturally, they are similar where it counts. They now love to share and have decent partnering skills.

The result is that this new Microsoft-driven medical solution has not only IBM's support, but also the backing of many other significant players in the industry. Through cooperation, they are setting an example that the industry should recognize; because the pandemic has reminded us that if we don't focus on healthcare, our homes, businesses, and especially our families, suffer.

Damon Electric Motorcycle

I started riding motorcycles before I got my driver's license, and I had two motorcycles before I bought my first car. My only coast-to-coast road trip was on a motorcycle, and up until a few years ago I'd always had a bike.

I'm also an electric car fan and drive a Jaguar I-Pace as my primary vehicle. So it was with some excitement at CES this year that I got to see the prototype Damon electric bike, and I recently got an update. The bike is not only a ton better, but it now has intelligence that makes it a ton safer too.

One of the things you learn about riding a bike is that you have to drive defensively because, unlike a car, regardless of who is at fault, you are likely to end up in the hospital or dead if you are in an accident. Having technology that safely helps you navigate and points out threats literally could be a lifesaver, and this motorcycle has that.

This bike is no Chevy Volt either. It has performed in line with a supercar, and a decent combination of range and fast charging makes it viable for road trips. It's zero to 60 time is 3 seconds.

What is also both fun and interesting is that it can switch from a cruiser to a racer in a transformer like change that I've never seen before in a production bike. The windshield, handlebars, seat, and pedals adjust electronically for touring or speed. This conversion is good because if you've ever tried to drive a bike set up for speed a long distance, you've discovered real pain. My arms used to lock up and start hurting after 10 to 20 miles, let alone an all-day ride.

At around $40K, this bike isn't a cheap date. But then again, if you've ever shopped for a high-performance car, other than the Corvette, you are likely talking 5 to 10 times as much -- and high-performance electric cars are much more than that except for Tesla.

This Damon is the Tesla of motorcycles with similar premium pricing and advanced features. The Damon is an awesome motorcycle. It begins shipping next year, and it is my product of the week.