Interesting that one of our innovation partners, Rendever, has developed a way for family members to record and annotate video to be viewed by seniors, so that they can see their hometown, where they grew up, where they worked, to reawaken pleasant memories of times past. An interesting, unanticipated way of using virtual reality.
Month: May 2022
Steven Pinker Thinks Your Sense of Imminent Doom Is Wrong – The New York Times
Steven Pinker image from wired.com
“It is irrational to interpret a number of crises occurring at the same time as signs that we’re doomed.”
— Read on www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/06/magazine/steven-pinker-interview.html
The Xenobot Future Is Coming—Start Planning Now (wired.com)
“…the ability to recode cells, de-extinct species, and create new life forms will come with ethical, philosophical, and political challenges”
https://www.wired.com/story/synthetic-biology-plan/
With CRISPR, the molecular scissors technology ,we are gaining not only read, but WRITE access to our genetic data. Writing code will no longer be limited to computers (and electronic health records), but into living organisms. Are we ready? The technology is racing ahead of our ability to think about and deploy it for the good of all.
Sag A*: here’s a photo of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way (NYtimes, NASA)
We live in astounding times. Read the article and more importantly, see and hear the excitement of the scientists giving the press conference. So proud to be human right now!
Can Learning Machines Unlearn? (wired.com)
https://www.wired.com/story/machines-can-learn-can-they-unlearn/
How much data?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. In our recent work designing predictive algorithms using linear regressions and neural networks, and similar approaches, we’ve discussed the use of EHR (electronic health record) data, and have had some success using such algorithms to reduce deaths from sepsis (blog post from 10/6/2021).
One of many problems, is “how much data?” And it has been interesting to work with our data science colleagues on creating a model, and then carefully slimming it down so that our models can run on smaller data sets, more efficiently, more quickly, with less computing power.
Forgetting?
A related problem is “when do we need to forget?” EHR data ages, the way clinicians record findings can change. Our understanding of diseases change. The diseases themselves change. (Delta variant, anyone?)
Will our models perform worse if we use data that is too old? Will they perform better because we gave them more history? Do our models have an “expiration date?”
The Wired.com article above talks about having to remove data that was perhaps illegally acquired, or perhaps after a lawsuit, MUST be removed from a database that powers an algorithm.
Humans need to forget. What about algorithms?
Isn’t human memory about selective attention, selective use of memory? Wouldn’t a human’s perfect memory be the enemy of efficient and effective thinking? I’ve read that recalling a memory slightly changes the memory. Why do we work this way? Is that better for us?
Is there a lesson here for what we are building in silico?
CMIO’s take? As we build predictive analytics, working toward a “thinking machine”, consider: what DON’T we know about memory and forgetting? Are we missing something fundamental in how our minds work as we build silicon images of ourselves? What are you doing in this area? Let me know.
My newest ukulele EHR parody song: Inbasket Dynamite
Has anyone ever written a K-pop anthem into an EHR parody? Is it possible to set an hyperobject to music? Regrettably, someone has tried.
It is great to be back together among our tribe of informaticists at Epic’s XGM (eXpert Group Meeting) in Verona, Wisconsin, where the best and the brightest share our work, our leadership and change management lessons, and celebrate our successes.
Inbasket Dynamite refers to the Hyperobject that is the EHR inbasket, the nerve center of communications that, like the post office, can grow to unmanageable size and could contribute to physician and provider burnout. Time to “light it up” and redesign it.
I’m on stage at the Epic Physician Advisory Council (PAC) reception, grateful to receive the 2021 PACademy Award (physician of the year) from the voting of our international physician informatics community, along with Heidi Twedt (2020 awardee) and Joel Buchanan (2022 awardee). Due to the pandemic, we have missed the last 2 years of the PAC meeting in person, so this is our catch-up. I’m honored to be in such company.
If you’re not a BTS fanatic, like we are at our house, here are a couple of videos to whet your appetite:
My son Avery covering BTS’s dance moves in Dynamite, for the pure joy of it:
And, one of the official BTS music videos on Dynamite. Many of their videos have been viewed over a billion times (ahem, a Billion):