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> So basically they took a simpler version of software used in hundreds of medical imaging labs around the world and put it in an app? > I've worked in labs th
by jessriedel 9y ago
> So basically they took a simpler version of software used in hundreds of medical imaging labs around the world and put it in an app?
> I've worked in labs that do this exact same thing. It's cool that they're putting this in a consumer-facing format but the technology (re: accuracy in ML models) still isn't there yet
Don't these observations explain each other? The whole point of have a consumer product is to reduce office visits and/or increase the monitoring frequency. So reduced accuracy is acceptable since any positive results would be followed up by the standard, more sophisticated tests.
They aren't trying to mimic the state of the art in a phone.
- daveguy 9y agoMedical diagnostics have to be held to a high standard. False negatives (the app says you're fine when you have cancer) and false positives (the app says you have cancer when you're fine) both have significant consequences. False negative (24%) means you are not getting the treatment you need as soon as you could. Imagine people delaying a real mammogram for a few years because they have an app that says "all good!". False positive (35%) means unneeded tests and doctors visits. This is less concerning as a bad outcome, but it does mean more stress , more expense and longer wait times to schedule a doctor visit. This is an interesting exercise in ML, but there is little chance this app would get approval as a diagnostic tool.
- jessriedel 9y agoI'm not making any claims about the absolute accuracy of the test or whether it's useful as is. I'm responding to the criticism that (1) the test is less accurate than a lab test and (2) who cares about putting it in a smart phone. Also, FTA: > The code will be the deliverable to iSono Health as a baseline model for further algorithm development.