Comments on: Machine Learning in Medicine http://inportb.com/2009/04/24/machine-learning-in-medicine/ salty nothings are yummier Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:01:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jiang Yio http://inportb.com/2009/04/24/machine-learning-in-medicine/comment-page-1/#comment-755 Jiang Yio Thu, 07 May 2009 15:01:56 +0000 http://inportb.com/?p=353#comment-755 No, a doctor would not like the idea of having machines making decisions for them, especially having spent so much effort to become doctors themselves. But -- this is more about society not being ready for changes that may be beneficial to it. After all, nobody knew <em>what</em> to do with penicillin when it was discovered. Incidentally, I'm about to step out to my Premed Advisory Committee interview, so thanks for getting me to think about these things :) <blockquote>sometimes years of experience can be more useful</blockquote> Naturally, and human experience is limited to a lifetime whereas machine experience can arguably span multiple lifetimes (simultaneously, even). <blockquote>computers can also be wrong because they will never come up with new ideas</blockquote> The same could be said for mistakes due to new ideas... but at least the software inherits our new ideas as we use them, right? No, a doctor would not like the idea of having machines making decisions for them, especially having spent so much effort to become doctors themselves. But — this is more about society not being ready for changes that may be beneficial to it. After all, nobody knew what to do with penicillin when it was discovered.

Incidentally, I’m about to step out to my Premed Advisory Committee interview, so thanks for getting me to think about these things :)

sometimes years of experience can be more useful

Naturally, and human experience is limited to a lifetime whereas machine experience can arguably span multiple lifetimes (simultaneously, even).

computers can also be wrong because they will never come up with new ideas

The same could be said for mistakes due to new ideas… but at least the software inherits our new ideas as we use them, right?

]]> By: Boris http://inportb.com/2009/04/24/machine-learning-in-medicine/comment-page-1/#comment-754 Boris Thu, 07 May 2009 13:31:15 +0000 http://inportb.com/?p=353#comment-754 I think setting such a thing up would be extremely difficult. I don't think most doctors would like the idea of a machine making decisions for them. Machines can only know as much as is put in, and sometimes years of experience can be more useful...especially if there might also be ethical concerns at stake. Sometimes computers can also be wrong because they will never come up with new ideas. That being said, there are already some such machines used in practice though I don't remember the details and I think their use is pretty limited for the reasons stated above. I do think machines can play an enormous role in medicine, but this is a long term goal and requires a lot of discussion. There need to be a standard code for how such machines will be put into practice efficiently, how they will be used, and how their output should be handled by healthcare professionals. It's far easier to utilize machine learning algorithms in scientific studies with applications to medicine than in medicine itself. I think setting such a thing up would be extremely difficult. I don’t think most doctors would like the idea of a machine making decisions for them. Machines can only know as much as is put in, and sometimes years of experience can be more useful…especially if there might also be ethical concerns at stake. Sometimes computers can also be wrong because they will never come up with new ideas.

That being said, there are already some such machines used in practice though I don’t remember the details and I think their use is pretty limited for the reasons stated above. I do think machines can play an enormous role in medicine, but this is a long term goal and requires a lot of discussion. There need to be a standard code for how such machines will be put into practice efficiently, how they will be used, and how their output should be handled by healthcare professionals. It’s far easier to utilize machine learning algorithms in scientific studies with applications to medicine than in medicine itself.

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