'Big data' is changing American medical care
Mayo's Optum Labs is one of several projects nationally that analyze massive banks of patient records and medical data to see what works best in health care.
Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Established by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and based in Washington, D.C., PCORI funds studies that compare the efficacy of various treatment options, known as "comparative effectiveness research." It is funded by the federal government, plus fees assessed on Medicare and on private insurance plans.
Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI)
Launched in 2011 by four of the nation's largest insurance companies — UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, Humana and Kaiser Permanente — the institute examines health spending and studies the effectiveness of treatments. The insurers gave researchers access to their claims data, which now includes 5 billion medical records. IBM Watson
The computer that became a "Jeopardy!" champion is now helping medical researchers. Cancer specialists at Sloan Kettering in New York are using Watson to match patients to clinical results, treatment histories and health outcomes for similar patients. Mayo is working with Watson to more quickly match cancer patients with clinical trials.
Blue Health Intelligence