Cognitive computing is the simulation of human thought process in a computerized model. Cognitive computing is used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as robotics and virtual reality. It essentially harnesses big data, cloud computing, pattern recognition and natural language processing to mimic how the human brain processes information.
IBM Watson is probably the most well-known example of cognitive computing (it famously won the game show “Jeopardy“ in 2011). Cognitive computing in health care is expected to take off in the next few years. One example is IBM Watson for Oncology, which was created with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York to help cancer specialists make more informed treatment decisions. The program analyzes a patient’s personal medical data against huge data troves and expertise to offer evidence-based treatment options to individual patients. Some see promise in cognitive computing as a way to solve entrenched problems in health care, from health disparities to physician burnout.