SINGULARITY: In Medicine Today?

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

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The singularity promises to revolutionize medicine by accelerating diagnostics, treatment, and longevity—but it also demands ethical vigilance and systemic transformation.

The concept of the technological singularity refers to a hypothetical future moment when artificial intelligence (AI) surpasses human intelligence, triggering exponential advances in technology. In medicine, this could mark a turning point where AI-driven systems outperform human clinicians in diagnosis, treatment planning, and even biomedical research. While the singularity remains speculative, its implications for healthcare are profound and multifaceted.

One of the most promising impacts is in diagnostics and precision medicine. AI systems trained on vast datasets of medical images, genetic profiles, and patient histories could detect diseases earlier and more accurately than human doctors. For example, algorithms already outperform radiologists in identifying certain cancers from imaging scans. As we approach the singularity, these systems may evolve into autonomous diagnostic agents capable of real-time analysis and personalized recommendations, tailored to each patient’s unique biology.

Another transformative area is drug discovery and development. Traditional pharmaceutical research is slow and costly, often taking over a decade to bring a new drug to market. AI could dramatically shorten this timeline by simulating molecular interactions, predicting therapeutic targets, and optimizing clinical trial designs. With superintelligent systems, the pace of innovation could accelerate to the point where treatments for currently incurable diseases—like Alzheimer’s or certain cancers—become feasible within months.

The singularity also opens doors to radical longevity and human enhancement. Advances in nanotechnology, genomics, and regenerative medicine may converge to extend human lifespan significantly. AI could help decode the aging process, identify biomarkers of cellular decline, and engineer interventions that slow or reverse it. Some theorists even envision a future where aging is treated as a curable condition, and mortality becomes a choice rather than a biological inevitability.

However, these breakthroughs come with serious ethical and societal challenges. Data privacy, algorithmic bias, and access inequality are critical concerns. If singularity-level AI is controlled by a few corporations or governments, it could exacerbate global health disparities. Moreover, the replacement of human clinicians with machines raises questions about empathy, trust, and accountability in care. Who is responsible when an AI makes a life-altering mistake?

To navigate this future responsibly, medicine must embrace interdisciplinary collaboration. Ethicists, technologists, clinicians, and policymakers must work together to ensure that AI systems are transparent, equitable, and aligned with human values. Regulatory frameworks must evolve to keep pace with innovation, and medical education must prepare practitioners to work alongside intelligent machines.

In conclusion, the singularity represents both a promise and a peril for medicine. It offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance human health, but also demands careful stewardship to avoid unintended consequences.

As we edge closer to this horizon, the challenge will be not just technological, but deeply human: to harness intelligence beyond our own in service of healing, compassion, and justice.

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SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com 

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Understanding the Tele-Medicine Paradox in Healthcare

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

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A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one’s expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true or apparently true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion. A paradox usually involves contradictory-yet-interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time. They result in “persistent contradiction between interdependent elements” leading to a lasting “unity of opposites”.

THE TELE-MEDICINE PARADOX

Classic Definition: Refers specifically to the treatment of various medical conditions without seeing the patient in person. Healthcare providers may use electronic and internet platforms like live video, audio, PCs, tablets, or instant messaging to address a patient’s concerns and diagnose their condition remotely.

Modern Circumstance: This may include giving medical advice, walking them through at-home exercises, or recommending them to a local provider or facility. Even more exciting is the emergence of telemedicine apps which give patients access to care right from their phones or computer screens.

Paradox Examples: Treating certain conditions remotely can be challenging. Tele-medicine is often used to treat common illnesses, manage chronic conditions, or provide specialist services. If a patient is dealing with an emergent or serious condition, the remote provider suggests they seek in-person medical care.

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SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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FROM: Zocdoc to Zo

By Staff Reporters and AI

SPONSOR http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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When New York-based Zocdoc was founded back in 2007, the idea was to help patients get off the phone, founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz told Healthcare Brew. The company created a website that helps patients find clinicians who fit their needs in their area and are under their insurance, and books appointments online.

MD versus DO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/06/17/the-md-versus-do-degree/

But on May 1st, Zocdoc launched a new product to get people back on the phone: an artificial intelligence (AI) voice agent called Zo. Zo helps people book doctor appointments 24/7—but instead of speaking with a person, patients speak with an AI voice that is trained to meet their needs.

DPM Podiatrist: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/03/20/is-a-podiatrist-a-physician/

“Until recently, we didn’t do the phone because the experience on the phone was just so miserable,” Kharraz said. “Now you can actually have a consistent experience, where the AI can pick up after the first ring an unlimited number of times concurrently [and] have a natural conversation with you.”

Tele-Health: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/04/04/types-of-patient-care-healthcare-providers-deliver-via-tele-health/

Click here for more on the rise of voice agents in healthcare.

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DAILY UPDATE: PBMs and Healthcare A.I. as All Major Market Indexes Drop

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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Stat: 97%. That’s how many healthcare leaders think A.I. will become important in healthcare over the next five years.

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Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are once again under pressure from federal leaders. A group of Democratic and Republican congresspeople proposed legislation that would attempt to prevent pharmacies from also owning PBMs. The three largest PBMs—CVS Health’s Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx—currently operate pharmacies and administer more than 80% of the prescriptions in the US, and officials have linked this practice to drug price increases.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

US stocks fell across the board on Tuesday, with the Dow logging its biggest losing streak in 46 years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) finished the session down roughly 0.6%, registering its ninth straight day of losses. The last 9-day losing streak for the Dow was Feb. 1978. Prior to that, the index suffered an 11-day losing streak in 1974 and another in 1971.

The other major indexes dropped in tandem on Tuesday, with the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) falling around 0.4% and the NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC) losing about 0.3% after the tech-heavy index closed at a record high on Monday.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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Valuation of Hospitals [Technological Environment]

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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Technological advancements have accelerated the shift of healthcare services from inpatient to outpatient settings, creating both opportunities and challenges for hospitals. For instance, minimally invasive procedures often serve as alternatives to traditional, more invasive surgeries. Additionally, the integration of telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance access to and quality of care while reducing expenditures and administrative burdens.

This final installment of a five-part series on the valuation of hospitals examines the technological advancements transforming the industry. (Read more…) 

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Do Doctors Use ChatGPT in Clinical Decisions?

By Staff Reporters

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Are doctors using publicly available tools like ChatGPT? The answer, Fierce Healthcare finds, is yes. In the first in-depth look of its kind into physician use of public genAI tools, Fierce Healthcare spoke with nearly two dozen doctors, students, AI experts and regulators, and helped conduct a survey of more than 100 physicians. The reporting confirms that some doctors are turning to tools intended for non-clinical uses to make clinical decisions. 

More: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2804309

A collaborative survey between Fierce Healthcare and physician social network Sermo found that 76% of respondents reported using general-purpose LLMs in clinical decision-making. With no standardized guidelines, lagging physician training and regulators racing to try to keep up with rapidly changing technology, guardrails to protect patients appear to be years behind current rates of utilization.

Source: Fierce Healthcare [10/8/24]

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GAP BETWEEN A.I. AND BEDSIDE: Participatory Workshop on the Barriers to the Integration, Translation, and Adoption of Digital Health Care and AI Startup Technology Into Clinical Practice

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The study examines the challenges of integrating new technologies in clinical practice, identified four primary barriers: insufficient knowledge of health system technology procurement protocols, which can vary across facilities; strict regulations and clinical trial requirements; obstacles in the health system technology procurement process; and competitive disadvantages for smaller startups.

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PODCAST: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

MACHINE LEARNING AND NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

By Eric Bricker MD

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DAILY UPDATE: Nvidia in Medicine, IRs and the Big Banks

By Staff Reporters

SAFE SOLAR ECLIPSE DAY

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NVIDIA
is accelerating the pace of healthcare innovation! Last week they unveiled a suite of AI microservices for developers, launched cutting-edge healthcare AI tools, and deepened their collaborations with giants like Johnson & Johnson. Plus, they’re ramping up investment in clinical trials and drug design. 

Do you ever struggle with finding the best sources of information about healthcare AI? Check out my new video, where I share my favorite newsletters, websites, sub-reddits, and a list of must-follow experts. With this toolkit, you won’t miss anything important. Also, I hope you enjoyed a restful and Happy Spring Break – should you celebrate it!

Bertalan Meskó, PhD
The Medical Futurist

READ MORE: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/24/nvidias-ai-ambitions-in-medicine-and-health-care-are-becoming-clear.html?utm_source=The+Medical+Futurist+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f5908296a8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_04_07_Resend&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_efd6a3cd08-f5908296a8-399696053&mc_cid=f5908296a8&mc_eid=40fee31c25

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Last week, several Fed officials said they were in no rush to slash interest rates in 2024, which investors have been banking on this year. Meanwhile, oil prices have risen to five-month highs due to concerns about supply shocks in key areas around the world.

And, Wall Street is preparing for a crammed week, with crucial inflation data dropping on Wednesday and big banks (JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup) inaugurating earnings season on Friday. The pressure is on companies to post beefy profits to back up their strong stock performance in Q1.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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DAILY UPDATE: Salesforce Health Care AI and the National Association of Realtors Rebuke

By Staff Reporters

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Salesforce just announced new AI solutions for health-care workers that could help automate some of the manual administrative tasks that are driving physician burnout. READ MORE

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On Friday, National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed to pay $418 million over the next four years to settle several lawsuits alleging it artificially inflated realtor commissions. Included in the deal is a policy change that will likely obliterate agents’ 5%–6% commissions.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

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ChatGPT: Accuracy in Clinical Medical Decision Making?

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By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA FACFAS CMP

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Putting ChatGPT to the test to see if AI can work through an entire clinical encounter with a patient – recommending a diagnostic workup, deciding a course of action and making a final diagnosis – Mass General Brigham researchers have found the large language model to have “impressive accuracy” despite limitations, including possible hallucinations

Colleague Bertalan Meskó, MD PhD, The Medical Futurist, sent me the following fascinating report.

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A recent study revealing ChatGPT’s high scoring in clinical decision accuracy has made waves. While the results are certainly promising, it’s crucial to keep in mind that these tests capture only a fraction of the myriad skills and knowledge required to treat patients – and we need to interpret the implications accordingly.

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SECRET: Ways A.I. Companies Might Use Your Personal Data

By Bertalan Mesko MD PhD

The Medical Futurist

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Pictures, text prompts, documents and health metrics are just a few examples of data we’re giving away to different AI applications and thus, to different companies/organizations.

What happens to this data? Who owns the various outputs generated by us and/or algorithms? We dig into this topic and were not feeling at ease by the end of the trip.

READ MORE

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ORDER: https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Health-Information-Technology-Security/dp/0826149952/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254413315&sr=1-5

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PODCAST: Nuance DAX: Conversational Healthcare A.I.

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In the patient-physician relationship, time is precious. Nuance DAX helps physicians to focus on patient care during appointments—instead of paperwork and documentation. Nuance DAX uses sophisticated conversational AI and ambient technology to capture and contextualize the patient encounter, reducing documentation time by 50%.

Learn more.

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ChatGPT: A Microsoft Start-Up Venture!

By Staff Reporters

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Microsoft is reportedly preparing for its largest startup investment in history: a $10 billion stake in OpenAI that could value the research lab at $29 billion. OpenAI is the creator of potentially groundbreaking AI tools like ChatGPT, the multitalented chatbot that can code in Python and help high schoolers cheat on English essays.

MSFT has already invested $1 billion in OpenAI, but thinks an even tighter relationship would help it better compete with Big Tech rivals like Google (which reportedly declared a “code red” over ChatGPT’s threat to its search dominance).

But Microsoft’s AI ambitions go beyond just integrating ChatGPT know-how into its own search engine, Bing. The company wants to use OpenAI’s tools in its Office suite—and it’s already experimenting with algorithms to help users craft emails in Outlook.

OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a mission-based AI research organization by a roster from Silicon Valley’s A-list, including Elon Musk. Its stated goal is to develop safe AI for the benefit of humanity. But OpenAI has plenty of critics who have called it out for ethical concerns, a lack of transparency, and abandoning its mission for profits.

According to MorningBrew, a slew of buzzy AI product releases in 2022 has startup investors forgetting they ever heard the word “metaverse.” Languishing in the prolonged crypto winter and facing an uncertain economic environment, many venture capitalists see the field as the next big thing to shovel money into their coffers.

MORE :https://www.kevinmd.com/2023/01/revolutionizing-medicine-how-chatgpt-is-changing-the-way-we-think-about-health-care.html

RELATED: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2023/01/18/about-turn-it-in/

UPDATE: Bill Gates just hinted that he may be working on Open AI’s large language chatbot ChatGPT in collaboration with Microsoft if the reported $10 billion investment in the start-up goes through. Gates also admitted that he’s still involved with the company’s research and product plans, and said he’s watching the developments in ChatGPT “very closely.”

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SURVEY: Artificial Intelligence [A.I.] in Health Care

By AMA and MCOL

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JAMA: Public Views About Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

A recent JAMA survey asked “Overall, in the next 5 years, do you think AI will make health care in the United States?” The survey results were as follows:

 •  Much better: 10.9%
 •  Somewhat better: 44.5%
 •  Minimal change: 19.3%
 •  Somewhat worse: 4.3%
 •  Much worse: 1.9%
 •  Don’t know: 19%

Source: JAMA Network, May 4, 2022

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DICTIONARY: https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Health-Information-Technology-Security/dp/0826149952/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254413315&sr=1-5

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