Where are the robots, exactly? One answer--if you read the steady flow of doomy articles online -- is that automation is everywhere, not just all over the media but (you would have to conclude) thoroughly infiltrating the economy. In that sense, the trend seems omnipresent even as it spawns a kind of free-floating dread amongst the chattering class. Yet, that can't be right. Almost nothing in today's economy is evenly distributed, whether it be technology, productivity, output, or inclusive prosperity.

Imagine this: your hospital administrator asks you to help reduce the length of inpatient stays and they need a plan within a week. Chances are, most of you couldn't. But, the technology to mine and analyze your data does exist. Much like your daily Google searches, it's possible to input your search criteria, click Enter, and have answers at your fingertips in seconds. Doing so is part of radiology's push toward using big data, said Woojin Kim, MD, director of innovation at Montage Healthcare Solutions, Inc. "Radiology doesn't yet have big data like other industries, but that's changing rapidly. People want access to data to be able to turn insight into action," he said.

Imagine this: your hospital administrator asks you to help reduce the length of inpatient stays and they need a plan within a week. Chances are, most of you couldn't. But, the technology to mine and analyze your data does exist. Much like your daily Google searches, it's possible to input your search criteria, click Enter, and have answers at your fingertips in seconds. Doing so is part of radiology's push toward using big data, said Woojin Kim, MD, director of innovation at Montage Healthcare Solutions, Inc. "Radiology doesn't yet have big data like other industries, but that's changing rapidly. People want access to data to be able to turn insight into action," he said.