IBM Watson Health: How Smart Computers Can Revolutionize Healthcare Marketing

IBM’s cognitive computer Watson became a household name and overnight sensation in 2011 when it beat two of Jeopardy’s top contestants, smoothly handling the show’s lineup of cleverly named categories and obscure facts.

Soon after Watson’s victory, IBM began to get inquiries from physicians, particularly oncologists, interested in knowing if cognitive technology could be applied in a clinical context. These discussions spawned IBM Watson’s earliest partnership, with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The organization refers to itself as “Watson’s oncology teacher.” As new information is added, Watson for Oncology learns and improves its accuracy.

Suzanne Sawyer, Vice President, Portfolio Marketing at IBM Watson Health

Suzanne Sawyer is Vice President, Portfolio Marketing at IBM Watson Health. “An oncologist can query Watson to say, ‘What are the most appropriate treatment options and clinical trials for this cancer and this patient?’” Sawyer says. “Watson brings back the knowledge of MSK oncologists and a vast repository of clinical research that’s been done around those types of cancers, or that patient profile.” The results are evidence-based recommendations, ranked and scored for relevance, and available in seconds for a physician’s consideration.

IBM Watson Health partners with other leading healthcare organizations, including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine, CVS, Apple, Medtronic, Welltok, Johnson & Johnson, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Diabetes Association.

To learn more about what cognitive computing enables Watson to do, and some of the exciting applications for healthcare marketers, read the full article now: Cognitive Technology in Healthcare: Looking to the Future with IBM Watson Health.

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Matt Humphrey
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