Doctors or Algorithms: Who Will Win?

~ cmonsen ~ Leave a comment

A recent TechCrunch article instigated some debate as to who will win the title of “Medical Expert:” physicians or algorithms. As a medical student with a background in engineering and machine learning, my perspective has led to a somewhat conflicted opinion. I have, on the one hand, seen how powerful algorithms can be, even in the medical domain, and on the other, watched and learned from master clinicians in medical school.

Continue reading on the Symcat blog Doctors or Algorithms: Who Will Win?

How Motor Learning Generalizes

~ cmonsen ~ Leave a comment

Introduction

Every movement we make requires our brains to predict what forces–gravity, an object we’re holding, a strong gust of wind–each of our body Screenshot 2015-07-12 11.03.40parts will experience in order to move in a coordinated fashion. No movement is ever exactly the same and so it is remarkable that we are not constantly tripping over ourselves. It is well-known that humans learn based on previous errors in their movements. My work at the Harvard Neuromotor Control Lab was to investigate how the brain learns to “makes generalizations” about movements and learn from its mistakes. Continue reading →

Stroke in AVS App

~ cmonsen ~ Leave a comment

Introduction

Screenshot 2015-07-11 22.15.36Each year, half a million patients present to emergency departments in the US with acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) characterized by vertigo lasting more than 24 hours. Though this is frequently caused by something benign such as a self-limited viral infection, it may also indicate a more severe condition such as stroke of the posterior circulation. Unfortunately, MRI can miss strokes when obtained early in the disease course meaning half of those with with posterior strokes are inappropriately sent home from the ER. Continue reading →

Understanding Tracheostomy as a Risk Factor for Sternal Wound Infections

~ cmonsen ~ Leave a comment

Introduction

Tracheostomy is an unpleasant, but effective means for transitioning patients off ventilatory support after prolonged periods of respiratory failure following cardiac surgery. There is, however, a perceived risk of patients getting infections of the surgical, sternal Screenshot 2015-07-12 16.13.38wound if tracheostomy is performed too early. This perceived risk means patients are often delayed in tracheostomy, including the benefits of ability to speak, reduced mortality, reduced ICU stay, and reduced delirium until the surgical wound is felt no longer at risk. Continue reading →

Towards an Intelligent Stethoscope

~ cmonsen ~ Leave a comment

Introduction

Screenshot 2015-07-12 09.51.31Though in some ways replaced by ultrasound technology, cardiac auscultation–using a stethoscope to listen to a patient’s heart–remains an important screening modality for recognizing heart disease. Auscultation serves as a cost-effective screening tool for heart disease and is of particular importance in several clinical scenarios. Less emphasis has been placed on training US clinicians in auscultation, however, making this something of a “lost art.” This may delay a patient’s diagnosis of heart disease. Continue reading →