With New Prediction Algorithm, a Patient's Past Foretells His Medical Future
Doctors can do HARM to prevent disease An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the saying goes, and a new algorithm will test that formula by predicting what will be wrong with a patient in the future, based on his or her past - and that of everyone else. Netflix or Amazon make suggestions based on your view and purchase history, as well as the histories of others who share your characteristics - age, location and such. This new algorithm works in a similar way, predicting your future health based on your past health, as well as the medical records and conditions of others like you. "This provides physicians with insights on what might be coming next for a patient, based on experiences of other patients," said Tyler McCormick, an assistant professor of statistics and sociology at the University of Washington who co-authored a new paper on the algorithm. McCormick...