By Keri Forsythe-Stephens
Although I wasn’t personally able to attend the AAMI 2018 Conference & Expo (Airlines tend to balk at the idea of 9-month-pregnant travelers), I was updated about the content of the meeting from my publisher, Sharon Farley, as well as our editorial consultant on-site. They both took copious notes—and provided me with great insights about what mattered most to this year’s AAMI attendees.
And artificial intelligence (AI), which we cover in depth in this month’s issue, certainly fits into this category. May Wang, PhD, chief technology officer and cofounder of Zingbox, Inc.—who wrote 24×7 Magazine’s May cover story about cybersecurity—presented a very well-received session at AAMI, titled the “Role of Artificial Intelligence in Securing Connected Medical Devices.”
Keri Forsythe-Stephens, Chief Editor
In it, Wang discussed how AI, machine learning, and deep learning can help protect medical equipment from cyberthreats—which are sadly intensifying by the day. “We need to build trust in MDs,” Wang quipped during the presentation. “But in this case, MD doesn’t stand for ‘medical doctors’—it stands for ‘medical devices.’”
Three separate articles in this month’s issue expound upon this idea. The first, “Special Focus: Artificial Intelligence,” discusses bringing new revenue opportunities to healthcare via advanced AI and machine learning, while the second article, “Artificial Intelligence: Imaging’s Next Frontier?”, talks specifically about the role of AI in the radiologic sector.
Finally, July’s Networking column, “Breaking Down Blockchain in the Healthcare Sector,” delves into the high-tech world of cryptography. After all, says IT aficionado Arleen Thukral (who presented a session at AAMI regarding data-mining techniques for CMMS data): “The current state of healthcare records is disjointed due to a lack of common architecture and standards that allow for the safe transfer of sensitive information among stakeholders in the system.”
Blockchain, Thukral says, could offer healthcare entities a variety of benefits from a security perspective.
The July issue of 24×7 Magazine certainly covers some complex, albeit highly relevant, content—and I hope you enjoy it. Also, I want to formally introduce you to my new associate editor, Chuck Holt, an experienced healthcare journalist who will be taking over for me as I begin my maternity leave. Please give Chuck a warm welcome to the HTM community and feel free to reach out to him at [email protected] to share your ideas for 24×7 Magazine.
I will miss you all while I’m out on leave, but I know the magazine will be in great hands.
