Machine Learning Could Help Detect Diseases Earlier, New Study Finds

There might be a lot of hype around what machine learning and artificial intelligence can do for healthcare, but a new study could showcase the real-life potential of the technology for early disease detection. The study, conducted by Microsoft and Duke University and published in late April in Nature's npj Digital Medicine, showcases the power of trained machine learning models to automatically detect neurodegenerative disorders by using information from patient interactions with search engines. The research is specific to Parkinson's disease but could be adapted to fit similar neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. SIGN UP: Get more news from the HealthTech newsletter in your inbox every two weeks! With Parkinson's disease impacting nearly 1 percent of people over age 60, it is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, the researcher authors note in the study's abstract.