When Specialists In Genetic Disorders Get Stumped, They’re Now Turning To Facial Recognition Software
Of the more than 7,000 known rare diseases, up to half are believed to cause changes to the shape of the face or skull. Uploading a picture of the person's face to an app can be a new tool to help doctors with a diagnosis.
Boston Globe:
Facial Recognition Zeroes In On Genetic Disorders
Founded in 2011 by two Israeli entrepreneurs around the same time they sold a facial tagging system to Facebook for $70 million to $80 million, the firm designed the software to more quickly point medical geneticists in the right direction. ...Through crowdsourcing and artificial intelligence, the software ranks the 10 most likely causes of a genetic disorder on the basis of facial patterns — what the app calls the “gestalt.” (Saltzman, 8/30)
In other health and technology news —
CNN:
Technology Is Changing The Way You See A Doctor, But Is That Good For Your Health?
One morning, Charlie Latuske woke up feverish and somewhat delirious in his home in Surrey in the UK, leaving him unable to function and in need of a doctor. He'd endured a sore throat and general malaise for a few days, believing it would get better, but that morning in August 2017, he knew that he had to do something about it. "I was quite out of it," said 27-year old Latuske, who was also due to go on vacation with his wife in just three days. (Senthilingam, 8/30)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Doctors Making House Calls With New Technology
New technology is getting Sacramento doctors back into the business of making old-fashioned house calls, employing a mobile application in an attempt to extend the amount of time they can spend on interviewing and bonding with their patients. Sacramento residents can schedule a doctor’s visit at their homes within two hours, using the Heal app or website. (Anderson, 8/30)
