Thank you for reading our blog. Paul and I will continue to publish "Dispatch from the Digital Health Frontier" on https://www.mayoclinicplatform.org/blog ..read more

An analysis of over 2 billion lab test results suggests a deep learning model can help create personalized reference ranges, which in turn would enable clinicians to monitor health and disease better. Paul Cerrato, MA, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform and John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. Almost every patient has blood drawn to measure a variety of metabolic markers. Typically, test results come back as a numeric or text value accompanied by a reference range which represents normal values. If total serum choles ..read more

AI and machine learning have the potential to redefine the management of several GI disorders. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. Colonoscopy is one of the true success stories in modern medicine. Studies have demonstrated that colonoscopy screening detects the cancer at a much earlier stage, reducing the risk of invasive tumors and metastatic disease, and reducing mortality. However, while colorectal cancer is highly preventable, it is the third leading cause ..read more

We must make a serious commitment to increase financial resources and provide better analytics for real world evidence/real time data in support of public health. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. Public health has been underfunded for decades. That neglect has had a profound impact since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken hold, and awakened policy makers and thought leaders to the need for more investment. Consider the statistics: The U.S. spends about $3.6 tril ..read more

In addition to evaluating the safety of software as a medical device (SaMD), the agency needs to devote more resources to evaluating its efficacy and quality. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. The FDA’s approach to software as a medical device (SaMD) has been evolving. Consider a few examples. In 2018, IDx-DR, a software system used to improve screening for retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that affects the eye, became the first AI-based medical de ..read more

By providing a safe, secure environment, novel approaches enable health care innovators to share data without opening the door to snoopers and thieves. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. We know that bringing together AI algorithms and data in ways that preserve privacy and intellectual property is one of the keys to delivering the next generation of clinical decision support. But meeting that challenge requires health care innovators to look to other innovators ..read more

The three risk assessment tools now in use fall far short. Using the latest deep learning techniques, investigators are developing more personalized ways to locate women at high risk. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. The promise of personalized medicine will eventually allow clinicians to offer individual patients more precise advice on prevention, early detection and treatment. Of course, the operative word is eventually. A closer examination of the screenin ..read more

The evidence is mixed but suggests that these overlooked variables have a profound impact on each patient’s journey.  This article was written by Tim Suther, Nicole Hobbs, Jeff McGinn, Matt Turner with Change Healthcare, John Halamka, MD, MS, president of Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform. By one estimate, social determinants of health (SDoH) influence up to 80% of health outcomes. Although reports like this suggest that these social factors have a major impact, thought leaders continue to debate whether th ..read more

To convince physicians and nurses that deep learning algorithms are worth using in everyday practice, developers need to explain how they work in plain clinical English. Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, and John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. AI’s so-called black box refers to the fact that much of the underlying technology behind machine learning-enhanced algorithms is probability/statistics without a human readable explanation. Oftentimes that’s the case because the advanced math or the data scie ..read more

Advances in artificial intelligence are slowly transforming the specialty, much the way radiology is being transformed by similar advances in digital technology. John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform, and Paul Cerrato, senior research analyst and communications specialist, Mayo Clinic Platform, wrote this article. Any patient who faces a potential cancer diagnosis knows how important an accurate, timely pathology report is.  Similarly, surgeons often require fast pathology results when they are performing a delicate procedure to determine their course of action during an ..read more