Fighting the Number-One Killer In the US With Data

mattydread23 writes "Often, the signs of eventual heart failure are there, but they consist of a lot of weak signals over a long period of time, and doctors are not trained to look for these patterns. IBM and a couple heathcare providers, Sutter Health and Geisinger Health System, just got a $2 million grant from NIH to figure out how better data analysis can help prevent heart attack. But the trick is that doctors will have to use electronic records — it also means a lot more tests. Andy Patrizio writes, 'What this means is doctors are going to have to expand the tests they do and the amount of data they keep. Otherwise, the data isn't so Big.'"

Re:Great use of govt money!

[Albanach]

Great. Then you pay for it. I don't share your enthusiasm, so why should I have to share your bill?

Because every day you benefit from projects that were funded using taxpayer dollars/pounds/euros on the basis of long-term aspirations. The massive investment in road networks, rail networks and telecommunications were all taxpayer funded or subsidized. The technology spin-offs from the space program are benefits that again may never have seen the light of day without aspirational projects.

You benefit from those who walked before you. In return in makes sense to pave the way for those who will walk after you.

Re:Great use of govt money!

[JoshuaZ]

Because you can say that for every government thing, fire departments, police departments, military defense. These all benefit everyone in a society, so there's no easy way to prevent you from benefiting. This is related to what economists call a "public good." And the only way to make sure public goods get funded is for everyone to pay a tiny amount. If you don't think something is a public good that justifies such a situation, then you should talk to your congressmen. Of course, if you think that you shouldn't pay for any of them, then that's your problem.