Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO: Predictive analytics, precision medicine and AI are the future of medicine

Paul Rothman, MD, CEO of Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine and dean of the medical faculty at Johns Hopkins University, discussed the health system's COVID-19 data platform and the potential for artificial intelligence to make a difference in how health systems approach treatment in the future in an interview with The Media Line.

Since the pandemic began, Johns Hopkins has gathered COVID-19 data and reported it on a public dashboard for cases and deaths in the U.S. and across the world. Dr. Rothman said the health system is using artificial intelligence and machine learning in its platform and aims to collaborate with others to incorporate data in the future.

One of the big questions Johns Hopkins hopes to address with additional data is why the virus affects people differently. "We know certainly that there are some things such as age or underlying [conditions] like obesity which could predispose you," he said in the interview. "There are likely some genetic predispositions and some blood types [that affect severity]. I think working through that requires the analysis of big data and AI, and these will help better predict who will get very sick and who might benefit from different therapeutic interventions."

He also said big data and precision medicine will be game-changers in healthcare going forward. Johns Hopkins researchers are analyzing datasets to provide more personalized care for patients, including those who have COVID-19.

"I think that's the future of medicine: the use of predictive analytics to segment patients that will respond in a homogeneous way to a therapeutic," said Dr. Rothman.