One of the amazing things about the NHS is the enormous amount of long-term health data it holds: that's an incredibly powerful resource that can be used for enormous good. I want projects like this to be able to go ahead. There are huge challenges, though: it's in siloes, it needs pulling together - ThreadSky

katebevan.com • 7 days ago

One of the amazing things about the NHS is the enormous amount of long-term health data it holds: that's an incredibly powerful resource that can be used for enormous good. I want projects like this to be able to go ahead. There are huge challenges, though: it's in siloes, it needs pulling together

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thatmartin.bsky.social•7 days ago

We have the largest collection of health data in the world, used properly we could change and improve treatments across the globe. It really saddens me that we have not managed to communicate this and the fear-mongering around the use of this data.

thatmartin.bsky.social•7 days ago

Ben Goldacre has been talking about this for years.

katebevan.com•7 days ago

Yup.

thatmartin.bsky.social•7 days ago

I mean we truly know what treatments are long term effective, what outcomes are likely to be. It would both save lives but also allow us to drive savings to allow better procurement decisions to be made.

I mean for GPs, this sort of system could be amazing in their work.

katebevan.com•7 days ago

and cleaning up and preparing. And it needs everyone to be comfortable with that, otherwise this incredible national resource will go to waste. This is such an inflection point for health: data plus the tech to make the most of it can potentially deliver incredible advances.

corylus.bsky.social•7 days ago

We need a much more nuanced conversation about AI. It’s not just ChatGPT.

kevfquinn.bsky.social•7 days ago

It would help to use better terms to describe particular technologies, I think. For a start, drop the anthropomorphisms!

In this case, perhaps "natural language synthesiser".

labcoatjoe.bsky.social•7 days ago

I'm fine with it being done in house. I am really not fine with even annonymised data going to Meta. The data is the valuable resource we should be using our own data scientists to manage it. Our interests and the interests of American big tech are not aligned

katebevan.com•7 days ago

I honestly don't care who does it so long as the safeguards are in place and whoever does it has relevant expertise.

kevfquinn.bsky.social•7 days ago

I'm pretty sure from the article that NHS data doesn't go to Meta anyway. Companies use the Llama 2 model on their own servers. It's free to download and use, including commercially.
https://www.llama.com/llama2/

labcoatjoe.bsky.social•7 days ago

I just don't believe you can control the safeguards with big tech which makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist but their track record doesn't fill me with confidence

alic.bsky.social•7 days ago

I feel quite strongly that it should be a non US company, preferably NFP, but wishes are for kids.

andrewjacobslnd.bsky.social•7 days ago

I've been working with ICBs and Trusts for 2 years on workforce planning and understanding demand is essential, especially with the expectations on prevention and community being placed on the NHS now. This programme was 'a good thing' and needs to be made to work.

mattcraddock.com•7 days ago

I work on tech that would enable this kind of stuff to be done largely in house (trusted research environments) - currently trying to build something that'll keep data secure on the upcoming national AI research resource at Bristol/Cambridge. Might be an easier sell...

drmel.bsky.social•7 days ago

There’s a big disconnect at the GP level I think. Mostly caused by fears around GDPR issues? And I’m really not a fan of who is getting their hands on my data. (Looking at you, Palantir) I don’t trust the anonymity. I half expect a murder drone to be loaded up with my biometrics as I cost too much

katebevan.com•7 days ago

I honestly don't care who does the work on the data so long as the safeguards are in place. I'm not equipped to evaluate company a) Vs company b) and neither are most of us.

drmel.bsky.social•7 days ago

I’m sure the US Govt had all of the safeguards then DOGE interns turned up with hack sticks. It’s far too easy. And data mistakes are being made often by the NHS systems. They reverted me back to an address from 2011 with some kind of update recently. Took ages to sort out to get my drugs!

drmel.bsky.social•7 days ago

But agree data linkages can be powerful for teasing out new avenues for research (I taught my pre-med students about it). And agree that AI should first be used for useful things like crawling notes. One of the earliest uses was to spot MS earlier than human docs as I recall. (Years back?)

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