CVS, IBM partner to bring Watson to healthcare

CVS Health and IBM will use predictive analytics and Watson cognitive computing to transform care management services for patients with chronic disease.

The partnership will enable healthcare practitioners to use Watson to advance care management since Watson's cognitive computing capabilities interact in natural language, read and understand vast amounts of information, and continuously learn. Providers will be able to more quickly gain insights about patients' conditions from all possible information sources.

The partnership plans to focus on a wide range of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to a release. The organizations plan to help predict those at risk for declining health who may benefit from proactive, customized engagement programs; encourage patients to adopt safe and healthy behaviors, including adherence to prescribed medicines and healthy lifestyle regimens; and suggest appropriate use of cost-effective primary care and outpatient providers.

 

Beth Walsh,

Editor

Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.