Big Data and Dementia: Implications for Diagnosis
Room: 4070 (and Zoom)
Presented by Professor Grant Campbell.
Everyone welcome.
To attend in person: FNB 4070
To attend virtually, please register for the Zoom info at: https://uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4TM7mtAtD9epKKy
Description: Medical researchers are exploring how predictive algorithms, developed and tested over large volumes of data, can suggest new means of preventing and treating dementia. But can algorithmic techniques be integrated into on-the-ground dementia care? This presentation examines two recently-published case studies that applied algorithmic analysis to two different aspects of dementia care: assessment of risk factors, and reduction of misdiagnosis. While both studies offer suggestive possibilities, the underlying assumptions of big data are inconsistent with those of current diagnostic standards, and could potentially arouse undue optimism and undue alarm. The limits of such techniques must therefore be clearly explained.
Funding for this research was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
