IBM Aquiring Merge Healthcare for $1 Billion

IBM just spent $1 billion to give Watson the ability to see

This has huge implications! From living longer, faster recovery from illness, elimination of certain diseases. Waiting times will go down, as efficiency will go up, it will transform the world as we know it! 

IBM’s supercomputer is getting an upgrade with technology acquired from Merge Healthcare, which will add data and images to Watson’s advanced image analytics and cognitive abilities.

Merge Healthcare’s goal is to unlock the value of medical images to help physicians make better decisions. Currently, over 7,500 U.S. healthcare sites are using its services.

This is going to turbocharge the world of healthcare, enabling doctors and other hospital staff to spot patterns from all of these images, according to IBM the images account for around 90% of the healthcare records.

With the capabilities of Watson’s Cognitive computing systems this will mean certain viruses and other life threatening conditions will be wiped out pretty much altogether and other enlightening information will be picked up from analysing the images.

Life expectancy has increased in the last 100 years and with this kind of breakthrough we could see a lot more people reaching their hundreds. All of these interconnected devices from the IoT (internet of things) linking to health monitoring technologies will help to ensure people eat right, take the correct amount of exercise and have the correct posture etc.

The whole possibility of living for perhaps 200+ years within our lifetime could be possible especially if the right amount of activity levels are maintained into old age.

Just as an example look at this Chinese martial artist who apparently was over 113 years old when this was recorded, reaching an age of (apparently) 118 before passing away last year.

So if you are in the office and sit down for most of your day without taking any breaks and wonder why you are in pain, don’t take an asprin get off your chair and take some exercise.

Research has been done so that if you work intensely for 52 minutes and rest for 17 minutes you will have maximum productivity in the office. (Inc Article ref below)

If you would like some help with analytics, social media strategy or coaching then please email me on nat@ natschooler.com or send me a tweet @natschooler

Source articles

http://www.cio-today.com/article/index.php?story_id=020000BXUAHO

https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/publication/global-health-and-aging/living-longer

http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-magic-numbers-for-maximum-productivity-52-and-17.html

Image epSos.de

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