The Watson Health operation at International Business Machine (NYSE:IBM) is reportedly cutting back on the portion of its business that sells to hospitals due to a softening market for value-based healthcare offerings. Managers for IBM Watson Health told workers last week that changes to the Affordable Care Act caused hospitals to spend less on managing outcomes-based contracts, […]
IBM Watson Health
IBM confirms layoffs at Watson Health
International Business Machine (NYSE:IBM) confirmed reports from last month of layoffs, but denied that the cuts affected 50% to 70% of the workforce at its Watson Health operation. The layoffs were said to involve Cleveland-based Explorys and Dallas-based Phytel, which IBM acquired in April 2015 for undisclosed amounts. Employees at medical image and clinical systems company Merge Healthcare, acquired for $1 billion in December […]
Report: IBM Watson Health slashes workforce
International Business Machine (NYSE:IBM) reportedly laid off 50% to 70% of the workforce at its Watson Health operation, primarily at recent acquisitions for which the tech giant paid at least $3.6 billion. The layoffs, according to a May 25 report in The Register, involve Cleveland-based Explorys and Dallas-based Phytel, which IBM acquired in April 2015 for undisclosed amounts. Cleveland […]
Elekta inks oncology co-selling deal with IBM Watson Health
Elekta (STO:EKTA B) said today it inked a collaborative sales deal with IBM‘s (NYSE:IBM) Watson Health through which Elekta will offer IBM’s Watson for Oncology with its cancer care solutions. With the deal, Elekta said it will begin offering the Watson for Oncology early this year as a clinical decision support solution paired with its digital cancer […]
MIT Report: IBM Watson, machine-learning plays “overhyped”
IBM (NYSE:IBM) Watson Health, and other machine-learning company’s immediate impact on healthcare may have been significantly overhyped, promoting a timeline that it may not be able to reach, according to a new article from MIT’s Technology Review. The fault lies not with the company, however, but the complexity and relative unavailability of data that it and […]
Report: While major players aim to lead AI-tech pack, major adoption still a ways off
While billions of dollars are being poured into healthcare artificial intelligence plays with major companies leading the way, the technology still has a long way to go until it’s challenging the expertise of doctors on the front lines, according to a new Xconomy report. To reach that point, companies will not only have to invest […]
Novartis, IBM Watson collab to optimize care for patients with advanced breast cancer
Novartis (NYSE:NVS) said today that it inked a deal with IBM Watson Health to optimize care and improve outcomes for patients with advanced breast cancer. The 2 companies plan to develop a “cognitive solution” using real-world patient data and analytics to better understand expected outcomes of breast cancer treatment options and develop personalized treatment plans […]
9 women medtech leaders you need to know
Women account for 50.8% of the U.S. population, yet they only represent 14.8% of all CEOs in the U.S., according to the Center for American Progress. About 78.4% of healthcare industry workers – but only 34.3% of all surgeons and physicians and 15.9% of medical school deans – are women, the center reports. And according to […]
Study: Growing concern over narcotic painkillers and their addiction risk
More than 50% of Americans have been prescribed narcotic painkillers, according to a Truven Health Analytics-NPR Health poll, and more than one third of respondents were concerned about painkillers’ addiction risk, effectiveness and side effects. The concern towards prescription painkillers differed between those who have been prescribed narcotic pain-relievers and those who have not. Just over […]
Women in medtech: Making gains but not there yet
Sarah Faulkner/Associate Editor When IBM Watson Health general manager Deborah DiSanzo, a 30-year medtech veteran, began as a project manager at Apollo Computer, there were plenty of women working beside her. Three decades later, DiSanzo said, “I can now point to one woman who’s still in medtech from that.” The anecdote illustrates the continuing gender […]
