Scientists at Stanford University have used AI to predict whether someone will die within three months to a year, to help doctors better recommend palliative care. Research has shown that 80% of Americans would like to spend their last days in the comfort of their own homes and the researchers point out that only 20% do, partly because physicians don't offer an accurate prognosis, having patients often ending up receiving advanced treatments. The team developed an AI algorithm that studied health records from roughly two million patients admitted to two hospitals. The algorithm determined patient morality within the next three to 12 months. The researchers don't fully understand how their deep learning algorithm determined mortality, but, the researchers say, this isn't a concern since their project is about identifying people who could use palliative care. To help ease potential ethical concerns, the scientists highlight that these are just the beginning stages of research and that the algorithm would never be used on its own.
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