黑暗爆料网

MERIDIAN 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;While technology has been implemented in every facet of patient health, there are always ways to improve on patient care, particularly when it comes to preventative care. 

That鈥檚 where the work of Melanie C. Wright, research associate professor with 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 College of Pharmacy comes in.

Wright and a team of experts have been working to create an integrated graphical display that would help doctors and nurses more quickly diagnose circulatory shock and sepsis, a life-threatening medical emergency caused by the body鈥檚 extreme response to an infection. 

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to have the different pieces of equipment each providing information on their own screens or outputs,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to move to a world where everything uses a common language and can be input into a common computer, and we can now take all of that and put it in a clearer picture for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and whoever else needs the information.鈥�

As many as 300,000 U.S. hospital patients die each year from problems like sepsis, and 15,000 or more of these deaths are preventable. This work would also help prevent invasive procedures due to late detection of unexpected deterioration and emergencies such as cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, sepsis and bleeding.

The work Wright and others have been doing with medical staff has had promising results. A total of 32 physicians participated in the latest study, with results indicating more rapid and accurate circulatory shock diagnosis, as well as providing evidence that graphical displays may help reduce expert鈥搉ovice performance gaps. 

鈥淭hey鈥檒l get the same information they鈥檝e been getting, but hopefully better organized and structured,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what your email has been doing already - highlights the new mail. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 called augmented intelligence, not artificial intelligence.鈥� 

Wright says it鈥檚 not just the idea of using technology, it鈥檚 how making sure it鈥檚 being used in a way to provide the most accuracy.  With her newly funded grant, the focus of the work is on how to make complex augmented intelligence methods, such as machine learning, transparent and useful to users.

鈥淚n terms of the high-tech approaches, it鈥檚 not just 鈥榟ere鈥檚 the answer, go do this,鈥� because we鈥檙e not there yet,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淭his is all geared toward helping the medical staff spend less time with computers so they have more time with the patients. Doctors and nurses can get the information needed in the right timing, to prevent or reduce negative effects of the problems that arise while they are hospitalized.鈥�

Wright says that, with the work she鈥檚 been doing for the past 20 years, she鈥檚 seen health care shift from focusing on treating patients as they have medical issues to working toward preventive health care. She鈥檚 excited that her work contributes to this focus.

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黑暗爆料网, a Carnegie-classified doctoral high research activity university and teaching institution founded in 1901, attracts students from around the world to its Idaho campuses. At the main campus in Pocatello, and at locations in Meridian, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls, 黑暗爆料网 has nine Colleges, a Graduate School and a Division of Health Sciences that together offer more than 250 certificate and degree programs. More than 12,000 students attend 黑暗爆料网. 黑暗爆料网 is the state's designated lead institution in health professions.