Latest news with #SustainabilityAccelerator
Scientific American
02-07-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
To Save Patients from Extreme Heat, a Hospital Is Turning to AI
CLIMATEWIRE | When extreme heat hits the Boston area, emergency departments are packed with people who are dehydrated, experiencing kidney or heart problems, or are having heat cramps. Now a health care system that serves 2.5 million patients across Massachusetts is turning to artificial intelligence for help. 'The stress of the heat exacerbates those conditions, and we'll see a 10 percent jump of people in the emergency department not just for heat illness, but also weakness or syncope or other conditions due to the heat,' said Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at Mass General Brigham, the nonprofit academic health system that is working on a new alert system to warn people about the dangers of heat waves. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. In February, MGB was one of five applicants to join a Sustainability Accelerator run by IBM. The program seeks to help communities facing environmental and economic stress through technology. It had received more than 100 proposals for how to use AI to advance climate sustainability and resilience. The idea is simple: Use AI to comb through electronic health records to find patients who have health conditions or take medications that might make them particularly vulnerable to heat. The AI program would warn them when a heat wave is coming and tell patients how to protect themselves so they don't end up in an emergency room. The tool would include security features to protect patient health information. Ideally, the combination of personalized information, real-time heat data, and "actionable messages" will help empower patients to protect themselves. 'We think patients will pay more attention if it is their doctor, their hospital saying, 'Hey, you're at risk and here's what to do,' than if they just see on the news that it will be hot tomorrow,' Biddinger said. Heat kills an estimated 2,300 people every year in the United States, more than any other type of extreme weather event, and results in the hospitalization of thousands of others. Those numbers are expected to increase as climate change turbocharges temperatures, with one estimate calculating that emergency rooms could be inundated with an additional 235,000 visitors each summer. The same report, by the Center for American Progress, estimated that health care costs related to extreme heat would amount to $1 billion annually. Mass General Brigham offers training for doctors and nurses about how climate change could affect patients. Some particularly vulnerable patients with complex or overlapping medical conditions are assigned case workers to discuss those risks. 'Just as we want our patients to control their blood sugar if they have diabetes or not be exposed to poor air quality if they have a respiratory disease, trying to help them protect themselves from heat by communicating when they are at high risk is a health care responsibility, and we are trying to do better,' Biddinger said. But proactively warning patients is a tall order for humans to do on their own. Patients with complicated medical conditions are assigned care managers, who follow patients more closely and will contact them before a heat wave strikes to 'support their health.' But there's not enough staff to reach everyone who has a heart or kidney condition, or those whose homes might not have air conditioning. The AI program is still being developed, but Biddinger said he envisions it having a chatbot function, so patients can ask questions when they receive an alert. 'Our primary care doctors are so overwhelmed these days, and we don't want them to be stuck on hold waiting for their doctor when we can use AI to help them identify cooling centers or public places with air conditioning where they can go to stay cool,' he said. The AI alert system is meant to be a pilot program so the technology can be developed with IBM over the next two years. If it works, it could be shared with other hospitals. 'This is not being developed as a profits-driven product. It's meant to be a service to the community that health centers across the country could use to support their patients, too,' Biddinger said.
TECHx
19-05-2025
- Business
- TECHx
My FarmWell App Launched via Sustainability Accelerator
Home » Green Tech » My FarmWell App Launched via Sustainability Accelerator The University of Sharjah (UoS), in collaboration with IBM, has announced the launch of My FarmWell , a new mobile application. This initiative is part of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator program. The app is designed to address water scarcity and promote sustainable agriculture in the UAE and the wider MENA region. Built using IBM Environmental Intelligence and UoS's Welly Chatbot, My FarmWell leverages IBM Cloud and region-specific climate data. It delivers farm-level insights to help farmers make better decisions. The app supports both English and Arabic. It offers a user-friendly interface and a range of features, including: Access to well-specific data, including water levels, historical trends, and water quality indices. Crop recommendations based on the Integrated Water Quality Index (IWQI). A farm water calculator to estimate usage for crops, trees, and livestock. UoS Chancellor, H.E. Prof. Essam El-Din Ajami, revealed that the app is the result of ongoing scientific research with IBM. He stated that this milestone aligns with the university's mission to serve local and regional communities. He emphasized UoS's commitment to environmental sustainability and regional impact. According to Prof. Ajami, the app highlights the university's role as a leading model in the Middle East and North Africa. UoS Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, confirmed the university's dedication to research with real societal benefits. He reported that My FarmWell demonstrates how innovation can solve environmental challenges. Dr. Adewale Giwa, Principal Investigator of the project, stated that the app offers critical insights for smarter water usage and long-term sustainability. Shukri Eid, General Manager at IBM Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan, added that IBM's technology enables organizations to manage environmental risks more effectively. He noted that cloud and AI tools can improve resiliency and reduce costs. Other key features of My FarmWell include: Real-time weather updates, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and 10-day forecasts. An educational hub with content on groundwater conservation and climate adaptation. Integration of global food market prices to align irrigation with economic trends. The University of Sharjah and IBM reported that this app is a strong example of academia and industry working together to tackle regional challenges. They stated that My FarmWell supports the goals of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator. The program helps scale nonprofit and government initiatives using IBM technologies like hybrid cloud and AI. The My FarmWell app is now available for download on Android and iPhone.
