Alphabet Is Tackling Far More Than the ABCs of Health

Google Headquarters photoGoogle and its Alphabet and Verily units that are targeting health care certainly aren鈥檛 thinking small. Here are several ambitious health care projects that the companies are undertaking, based on a recent .

Predicting Medical Events

One of several machine-learning projects underway at , the parent company鈥檚 research group, involves predicting future medical events based on a massive store of clinical data provided by San Francisco-area hospitals. Its computers might soon be able to determine whether patients are at higher risk of a life-threatening condition like sepsis or are at higher risk for readmission. Another product that Google has been working on for years, an app called , is designed to help doctors identify early signs of kidney failure and other ailments.

Determining What鈥檚 Normal

, in partnership with Stanford Medicine and Duke University, is collecting data from 10,000 people over four years and analyzes the information using modern technologies. One key benefit of the longitudinal studies is that physicians will have a better idea of what 鈥渘ormal鈥 patient health looks like. A deeper understanding of 鈥渘ormal鈥 health could help clinicians better understand what鈥檚 not normal disease.

Smart Utensils

After acquiring Lift Labs in 2014, Verily began to develop technology for people with movement disorders to help them eat independently. The incorporates sensors on both sides of the handle so that the utensil stabilizes even if the user鈥檚 hand moves around or experiences tremors. With starter kits costing about $200, the utensil reportedly reduces shaking from the human hand by 70 percent.

Related Resources