Author: H. Jack West, MD
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Is the NCCN Undermining its Credibility by Failing to Acknowledge Bias and Value in its Guidelines?
The ostensible role for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is laudable. Essentially, this consortium of 27 leading cancer centers organizes a large group of practice committees with experts in a wide range of cancer subtypes and clinical challenges like supportive care issues, specific complications, age-related challenges, and cancer prevention and screening. These expert committees review the…
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What if health care had a great user interface? The Plea for OpenTable for the clinic & research trials
I know I’m just one of many people who loves the website and app OpenTable. It has become the dominant service for potential diners to find open times and make reservations for a meal in the next few hours or in just about any major metropolitan area. I find all sorts of new places and…
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Will AI have an algorithm for wishful thinking? Human error as a valued feature in cancer care
As I’ve previously noted, it is becoming increasingly clear that machine learning can match and in many ways exceed the capacities of human physicians, including specialists like medical oncologists, who are faced with mounting challenges of keeping up with more and more new publications, along with greater complexity of molecularly driven cancer care. The question in the future…
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5 Key Algorithms for Artificial Intelligence to Improve on Human Limitations in Cancer Care
I’m currently working my way through the book Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths, which deconstructs many key life decisions into algorithms that can lead to optimal decision-making. As it cogently reviews many basic concepts using a wide range of life examples, I can see…
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Vinod Khosla was right: Machine learning/algorithms can replace plenty of what physicians do
Speaking in September, 2012, technology expert and Silicon Valley entrepreneur/venture capitalist Vinod Khosla made the bold prediction that computer algorithms could replace 80% of physicians. Coming on the heels of the excitement of IBM’s Watson, a supercomputer of sorts that decisively vanquished the storied human champions of Jeopardy! in 2011 and was promptly turning to…
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Faces vs. Data: Protecting Ourselves to Death
I just saw an an excellent talk by Juan Enriquez at the TEDMED meeting I just attended, on the subject of “What is the missing measure in medicine?”. Specifically, his central point was that we focus on the risk of harm from treatments: the baby victims of thalidomide are etched on our collective memories, with a…