Emerging Health Trends & AI - Dr. William B. Weeks | Ep. 7
Dr. William B. Weeks — Microsoft AI for Good Lab
Dr. William B. Weeks of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab on where AI earns its place in health: stretching scarce specialists, supporting self-care, cutting waste, and care that fits the patient.
Key Takeaways
Flip the specialist's day
An algorithm screens phone video of a premature baby's retina, so the ophthalmologist spends 80% of the day treating instead of 20%. 13:47
Work where two fields overlap
Disciplines rarely speak each other's language. Someone who knows medicine and economics, or medicine and IT, can translate between them. 17:58
Most of health is not clinical
Clinical care explains 20–30% of health outcomes, yet about 95% of the US health dollar goes to it and 5% to public health. 28:58
Do more with less
Fewer workers will pay for more older patients. AI can support self-care, head off avoidable hospital stays and back up clinicians. 56:08
Treat the patient, not the number
His mother-in-law, 95, was given a blood pressure drug, grew dizzy and fell down the stairs. Care should follow what a patient values. 1:11:57
“They put her on a medication to treat a number and not a patient.”
“I think it's a really good career move to work where Venn diagrams overlap.”
Chapters
- 0:00Intro1 min
- 0:47Microsoft's AI for Good Lab2 min
- 2:23The book AI for Good5 min
- 7:26Measuring impact2 min
- 9:52Choosing projects7 min
- 17:03Which degree matters most6 min
- 22:43Leaders without a degree4 min
- 27:05Studying global public health3 min
- 30:24How US healthcare is paid for7 min
- 37:37How a new drug reaches patients6 min
- 43:32The $2 million drug2 min
- 45:52Fee-for-service or value5 min
- 50:30Global health trends5 min
- 55:08AI in medicine in ten years7 min
- 1:01:58Will robots operate?2 min
- 1:04:07The lab's current projects6 min
- 1:10:13The healthcare he wants4 min
Mentioned in This Episode
About this Guest
Dr. William B. Weeks
Microsoft AI for Good Lab
Physician-economist (MD, PhD, MBA) leading Microsoft's philanthropic AI for Health effort. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers and co-authored the book AI for Good.