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Medical records, texts, journals and research documents are all written in natural language - a language that computers traditionally struggle to understand. The ability to deliver a single, precise answer from these documents could go a long way in transforming the healthcare industry. Watson, the IBM computing system designed to play Jeopardy!, could deliver such a solution.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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Armonk, N.Y. & Burlington, Mass., USA - February 17, 2011
IBM (NYSE: IBM) and
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced a research agreement to explore, develop and commercialize the
Watson computing system's advanced analytics capabilities in the healthcare industry.
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Medical records, texts, journals and research documents are all written in natural language - a language that computers traditionally struggle to understand. The ability to deliver a single, precise answer from these documents could go a long way in transforming the healthcare industry. Watson, the IBM computing system designed to play Jeopardy!, could deliver such a solution.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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The research and technology initiative will combine
IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and
Machine Learning capabilities with
Nuance's speech recognition and
Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
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The research and technology initiative will combine IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning capabilities with Nuance's speech recognition and Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube
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The two companies expect the first commercial offerings from the collaboration to be available in 18-24 months.
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The research and technology initiative will combine IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning capabilities with Nuance's speech recognition and Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube
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Additionally,
Columbia University Medical Center and the
University of Maryland School of Medicine are contributing their medical expertise and research to the collaborative effort.
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The research and technology initiative will combine IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning capabilities with Nuance's speech recognition and Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube
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For example,
physicians at Columbia University are helping identify critical issues in the practice of medicine where the Watson technology may be able to contribute, and physicians at the
University of Maryland are working to identify the best way that a technology like
Watson could interact with
medical practitioners to provide the maximum assistance.
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Courtesy of IBM / YouTube
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Watson's ability to analyze the meaning and context of human language, and quickly process information to find precise answers can assist decision makers, such as physicians and nurses, unlock important knowledge and facts buried within huge volumes of information, and offer answers they may not have considered to help validate their own ideas or hypotheses.
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Dr. John E. Kelly III, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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"Combining our analytics expertise with the experience and technology of Nuance, we can transform the way that healthcare professionals accomplish everyday tasks by enabling them to work smarter and more efficiently," said
Dr. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president and director of IBM Research.
“This initiative demonstrates how we plan to apply Watson's capabilities into new areas, such as healthcare with Nuance.”
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The research and technology initiative will combine IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning capabilities with Nuance's speech recognition and Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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For example, a
doctor considering a patient's diagnosis could use
Watson's analytics technology, in conjunction with
Nuance’s voice and clinical language understanding solutions, to rapidly consider all the related texts, reference materials, prior cases, and latest knowledge in journals and medical literature to gain evidence from many more potential sources than previously possible.
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The research and technology initiative will combine IBM’s Deep Question Answering (QA), Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning capabilities with Nuance's speech recognition and Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that provide hospitals, physicians and payers access to critical and timely information.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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This could help
medical professionals confidently determine the most likely diagnosis and treatment options.
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Paul Ricci, chairman and CEO of Nuance.
Photo courtesy of Nuance |
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“The combination of Nuance’s speech recognition and existing Clinical Language Understanding solutions with the power of IBM’s Watson technology will introduce unmatched clinical information and analytic technological advancements for healthcare,” said
Paul Ricci, chairman and CEO of Nuance.
“The initiative represents a logical step in Nuance’s evolution, one that expands our capabilities from recognizing what was said to understanding the intent and providing guidance. The solutions we are developing with IBM will transform the capture, flow and use of clinical data, empowering healthcare organizations to drive smarter, more efficient clinical and business decisions.”
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Dr. Eliot Siegel, Director of the Maryland Imaging Research Technologies Laboratory (MIRTL) University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Photo courtesy of University of Maryland School of Medicine |
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“We are excited at the prospect of applying the Watson analytics technology to help create the next generation of electronic medical record systems and the next generation of computer diagnostic and decision support tools,” said
Dr. Eliot Siegel, Director of the Maryland Imaging Research Technologies Laboratory (MIRTL) University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“We believe that this has the potential to usher in a new era of computer assisted personalized medicine into healthcare to improve diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and patient safety.”
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Dr. Herbert Chase, professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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“Watson has the potential to help doctors reduce the time needed to evaluate and determine the correct diagnosis for a patient,” said
Dr. Herbert Chase, professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“We also believe that Watson also has the ability to help doctors provide personalized treatment options that are tailored to an individual patient's needs.”
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Courtesy of IBM / YouTube
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Under the agreement,
IBM and
Nuance will jointly invest in a multi-year research initiative targeted to the applications of the
Watson technology to assist in the
diagnosis and treatment of patients in combination with
Nuance’s voice and clinical language solutions.
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Watson, the IBM computing system designed to play Jeopardy!, could deliver such a solution.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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In addition,
IBM has licensed access to the Watson technology to Nuance.
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Dr. Joseph Jasinski, Healthcare and Life Sciences, IBM Research.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTu |
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IBM and
Nuance are currently engaged in a
five-year joint-research initiative designed to advance next-generation natural language speech technologies, the results of which will be commercialized by
Nuance.
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Dr. David Ferrucci, Watson Principal Investigator, IBM Research.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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IBM also named
Nuance its Preferred Business Partner for speech technologies and related professional services, aimed at complementing
IBM’s Industry Solutions portfolio.
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Dr. David Gondek, Watson Algorithms and Strategy, IBM Research.
Courtesy of IBM / YouTube |
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For more information about the Watson computing system and the
Jeopardy! challenge, please visit:
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/27297.wss
About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world.
Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents.
Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services.
For more information, please visit:
Nuance.com.
Nuance Healthcare
In the era of
Accountable Healthcare, where there is shared responsibility for the quality and cost of patient care,
Nuance Healthcare’s portfolio of Medical Intelligence solutions empower healthcare provider organizations, payers and individual physicians worldwide to deliver higher quality care, improve financial performance and enhance compliance efforts.
Nuance Healthcare employs a range of technologies and services as part of its full portfolio – speech recognition, clinical language understanding, decision support, test results management and data analysis.
For additional information on
Nuance’s healthcare IT solutions visit:
http://www.nuance.com/for-healthcare/index.htm
Contacts information
Chris Andrews
IBM Media Relations
914-945-1195
candrews@us.ibm.com
Richard Mack
Nuance Communications, Inc.
781-565-5000
Richard.Mack@nuance.com
SOURCE: IBM
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/33726.wss
SOURCE: Nuance
http://www.nuance.com/company/news-room/press-releases/NC_008477
Video
Perspectives on Watson: Healthcare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDdyxj6S0U
Video
IBM Watson: Watson After Jeopardy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fanwviCWMQs&feature=channel
ASTROMAN Magazine – 2011.02.20
IBM "Watson" to Challenge Humans at Jeopardy!
http://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=898
ASTROMAN Magazine – 2010.12.25
IBM's "Watson" Computing System to Challenge All Time Greatest Jeopardy! Champions
http://www.astroman.com.pl/index.php?mod=magazine&a=read&id=864