In a recent development, Google has enhanced its Vertex AI Search by integrating new capabilities tailored for the healthcare and life sciences sectors. This move is aimed at assisting enterprises in efficiently sourcing accurate clinical data and posing queries related to patient records.
Key Highlights:
- Vertex AI Search now enables a Google-like search experience via applications backed by foundation models.
- The platform was updated in August to incorporate data connectors for seamless data ingestion from third-party applications like Salesforce, Jira, and Confluence.
- New features facilitate data interoperability in the healthcare and life sciences domains, allowing extensive search on diverse data types, including FHIR formats, clinical notes, and electronic health records (EHRs).
- Integration with Google Cloud’s Healthcare API, Healthcare Data Engine, and Google Health’s search and intelligent summarization capabilities from its pilot product, Care Studio.
- The synergy of Vertex AI Search with the Med-PaLM 2 large language model offers enhanced search capabilities and medical Q&A expertise rooted in patient records.
Enhanced Search for Healthcare Data:
The Vertex AI Search, which empowers enterprises to establish a Google-like search experience through applications driven by foundation models, underwent its last update in August. This update introduced data connectors, facilitating the large language models to ingest data in a read-only mode from third-party applications such as Salesforce, Jira, and Confluence.
Bridging the Gap in Data Interoperability:
One of the standout features of this update is its potential to fast-track data interoperability for enterprises operating in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. This is achieved by enabling an extensive search across a wide range of data types, encompassing FHIR formats, clinical notes, and medical data stored in EHRs. Google plans to achieve this integration through its Cloud’s Healthcare API and Healthcare Data Engine. Additionally, it will leverage Google Health’s search and intelligent summarization capabilities, as seen in its pilot product named Care Studio.
Med-PaLM 2 Integration: A Game-Changer:
Another significant enhancement is the integration of Vertex AI Search with the Med-PaLM 2 large language model. While Med-PaLM 2 is adept at deconstructing intricate medical topics, the medically-tuned Vertex AI Search offers unparalleled search capabilities and general medical Q&A expertise, deeply rooted in the patient record. This combination is set to empower enterprises to make more informed and swift decisions.
Availability and Early Adopters:
As of now, these newly introduced features, specifically designed for enterprises in the healthcare and life sciences domain, appear to be in the preview stage. Google has indicated that only its existing cloud customers have the privilege to sign up for testing these features. Some of the early birds to leverage these features include Hackensack Meridian Health, Meditech, and Highmark Health.
Summary:
Google’s Vertex AI Search has undergone a significant update, introducing capabilities specifically designed for the healthcare and life sciences sectors. This enhancement aims to assist enterprises in efficiently sourcing accurate clinical data and making informed decisions. With features like data interoperability, integration with Google Cloud’s Healthcare API, and synergy with the Med-PaLM 2 large language model, Google is poised to revolutionize the way healthcare data is searched and utilized.
