Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Digest & Links for All Chapters–How Math and Crafty Formulas Today Running on Servers 24/7 Make Life Impacting Decisions About You–Updated 5-03-2012

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If you have not caught up with this yet, I started this series by accident as an awareness outreach, I know just like everyone else has out there, but having been a former software writer, hopefully some of this will explain in layman’s terms how some of this works behind the scenes it may offer some answers.  It’s not going to make you happy but it will open your eyes as to how the world of technology functions today with decision making and perhaps give you an idea of where it’s headed too.

I like technology and how it makes me smarter and more observant but as with everything today, there’s the dark side of how formulas and math are used for profit with some very intelligent and crafty programmers and developers out there and we get fooled.  Everything in here is all public knowledge so there was no digging for any exclusive interviews and so forth, just stuff you can find on the web as well and I’m just connecting some “big dots” to where you may not see this otherwise. 

This blog can be a source of discomfort at times as along with years ago in learning about math, code and formulas, it transitioned me into something very scary indeed, a female that uses logic <grin>. 

So if you have wondered why the Medical Quack is different, there you have it and I have to laugh at myself too as I never intended to become logical and think back quite bit of the days before logic entered the picture and those are some fine memories too.  So there you have it, what’s wrong with this blog…<grin> a female using logic.  I have also been pondering this question since August of 2009….this is a “one duck” think tank <grin>.

 
“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?

So without further chat, here’

  

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the Attacks as I see them as it’s all in the math and formulas…Nothing will happen until new code runs through those servers and I feel this is truly the backbone of what started the “Occupy” movement, frustration and nowhere to go for answers as we have leaders in denial that don’t have a clue of how all of this works.


Occupying Wall Street–It’s All About the “Attack of the Killer Algorithms”–The Unfair and Marketing Exploit of Ethics Using Math–This Could be a Subject for Michael Moore to Explore and Document In a Movie

 
“Killer Algorithms: Part 2” Disturbing News for Consumers With Credit Scoring Adding New Data Analytics–Some of the Same Methodologies Used by Insurers With Flawed/Potential Erroneous Data–One More Reason to Continue Occupying Wall Street


 
“Attack of the Killer Algorithms” Part 3–Vatican Doesn’t Like It Either–Occupy Wall Street Belongs in New York As They Don’t Do Code or Algorithms in Washington–Only Find time To Talk Abortions


 
Attack of the Killer Algorithms-Occupy Wall Street Part 4 Health Insurance Style - One More App For Folks Who Are Tired of Flawed Algorithms That Require A Ton of Work and Research Time To Create “Perfect” Data Files for Insurers And Others Analytics Processes

 
“Occupy Algorithms”–”The Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 5” - Nothing Will Improve Until Audits and Actions Takes Place To Correct Formulas Built for Profit Only by Corporations And We Battle Back With Math

 
Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 6–Discrimination With Consumer Credit-Same As Health Insurance Wanting Consumers to Reconstruct Records From Many Years Past As Middle Class Turns Into Data Chasers-Days of Taking Risks to Get Ahead Will Be Limited For Most…Occupy Algorithms


 
Flawed Data–Mined by Corporations Online Provides Background Checks Riddled With Errors–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 7


 
Consumers Lose More Privacy With New CoreLogic Credit Reporting–”Score” Marketed For Insurers and Employers To Gain Information-California Prohibits Potential Employers – From Using As Jan 1 - Killer Algorithms Part 8


 

Freddie Mac Found to be Betting Against Home Owners Being Able to Refinance - “Attack of the Killer Algorithms” On Consumers Part Nine–Home Mortgage Style


 

Komen Reverses Decision With Planned Parenthood–Hard Lesson on How Business Analytics Are Misunderstood And/Or Abused–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 10


 

Gamification–You Have Won and Now We Know All About You - It Didn’t Cost One Cent-Insurance Companies Have Games To Find Out More About You Too– “Attack of Killer Algorithms” Chapter 11


 

Colonoscopies–The Bait and Switch on Screenings–If Polyps Are Found You Get A Bill-Some Other Screenings Too–Killer Algorithms Part 12–Medical Billing Codes Style

 

Attack of the Killer Algorithms Part 13–Bank of America Style - Flawed Data With Credit Scoring Agencies–Dead Man Banking And Currently A Consumer Under Attack


 
Insurers to Provide User Friendly Summaries of What’s Covered–Good Luck As Constant Revisions Will Be Required as Business Intelligence Algorithms For Profit Change–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 14

 

Story of Duke University - The Sad Case of Flawed Data Published in Medical Journals That Was Declared Inaccurate 60 Minutes –Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 15


 

Medicare Low Safety Rankings At Harvard Teaching Hospitals Disputed and Flawed–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 16


 

Start Licensing and Taxing the Data Sellers of the Internet Making Billions of Profit Dollars Mining “Free Taxpayer Data”–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 17 - “Occupy Algorithms”– Help Stop Inequality in the US

 

Pharmacies File Suit Against Texas Human and Health Services Commission - Managed Care Contracts Begin Delegating Reimbursements Too Soon – Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 18


 

AMA Announces Doctors And Patients Can Expect To See the UnitedHealthCare/Ingenix Class Action Settlement Checks In the Mail Soon - Out of Network Short Payments–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 19


 

Healthcare Blogger Gets Spammed by Hedge Fund Using Internet “Reputation Restore” With Some Really Bad Algos–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 20


 

Senator Introduces Bill to Prohibit Companies From Using Medical Debt With Assessing Consumer Credit Scores–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 21 With Flawed Data


 

IBM Watson Going to Work At Citigroup on Wall Street–Congress Didn’t See Big Data As A Tool (Hadoop Framework) When They Had Their Chance…For Consumers The Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Chapter 22


 

Independent Pharmacies Not Able to Compete with Big Chains and Fear Going Out of Business–They Don’t Have Same High Levels of Data To Sell to Profit- Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 23


CVS/Caremark Sends Letters to Tufts Members Containing Personal Information Like Medical Conditions/Meds Info to Wrong Patients–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 24

Aetna States Letters Mailed to Thousands of California Customers Were A Mistake–Their Doctors Are Still In Network–”Rogue Algorithms and Flawed Data”–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 25

Medicare Agrees to Settle Hospital Reimbursement Dispute With 2,200 Hospitals in the US To Receive Approximately $3 Billion–Hospitals Paid Short–Killer Algorithms Chapter 26
UnitedHealthCare Sends Letter to Teenager Telling Her She Had Diabetes With No Parent or Doctor Involvement–Only Blood Test Was For Lyme Disease–Analytic Attack of the Killer Algorithms?–Reader Writes

 

Accretive Medical Collections and Analytics Cited by Minnesota by Attorney General For Collecting from Patients At Bedside and Worse–Employees on Pay for Performance Too? Killer Algorithms Chapter 28


San Diego Hospitals Having Issues With Anthem Blue Cross Refusing Claims for Psychiatric Emergency Services–Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 29


Colbert Talks Accretive Care–Collections in the Hospital ER (Video) Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 30!



I think there’s a little bit of something in here for everyone and again I do this as an awareness and how we and our government moves forward with this reality, it remains to be seen if we can scoot around the big white elephant in the living room that nobody can see, touch or talk to <grin> but it roars.  Richard Cordray has his work cut out for him and that is an understatement.   

Also because it belongs here and is on the same topic, when you have time listen in here and see how someone with greater intelligence than myself will help explain how this process works too with marketing, media and flawed data as simple math is no longer 100% credible for proving accuracy.  This is a great lecture given at Google’s offices in New York.  It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes between the good stuff and the algorithms created solely for profit as again their crafters are very good and collaborate with media to ensure we have a full diet every day.  BD 

Context is Everything–More About the Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception–Professor Siefe Lecture Given at Google’s New York Office–Big Healthcare Focus
NYU Siefe talks at Google Technorati Tags: algoirthms,mathmatics,12 step addictions,healthcare,desired results,rogue algorithm,Charles Seife,books,numbers,analytics,journalism,Google,drugs


Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Allscripts For Misleading Investors With Merging Data Systems–Too Much Code and Not Enough Time – Attack of the Killer Algorithms Chapter 30

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Let’s start out with this, if one is a developer/coder this is probably not a great atmosphere to be in right now, I would not want to be

working there writing code to integrate.  I don’t know the entire insides and outs to intelligently talk specifically on some of this but do know we had 2 very differently constructed system that needed to come together with the merger of the two companies for an even more powerful system for medical records.

  I wonder if somebody got sold a bill of goods here?  When you have management involved they are basically “magpies” as far as knowing what the whole job entails as they rely on the “hands on” folks for accurate information. 

On the other hand too, you cannot push the coders and get good algorithms and software and the average person is not really cognizant of how massive these system have become with all the working parts that need to integrate and support each other.  When I did my little integration on the desktop with client server with billing software, that even took me a while but I had the same data product for the back end and I’m sure on the two products merged here.  With existing clients, some would need to be migrated if they are different, the way data works and when as a consumer you sit down and see the magic, you have no clue on all the coding work that goes into the system, you just want it to work. 



According to this article the join in date expires on 2012 for investors to stake their claim.  Sometimes you can’t put developing on a schedule as there’s always something that comes up that is not expected and will take extra time, especially with writing to HIPAA standards and security which is of course a major concern and component with any medical records system.  This was the news a few days ago.  Investors, better ask more questions and in cases with complex software like medical records, don’t think we have web fairies out there flying around.  Just with some of the small stuff I do I have people thinking oh you just sit down for a couple hours and like magic you have their project done..not so. 

Allscripts CFO Resigns Along With A Few Other Key Individuals, Board Fires Chairman–1st Quarter Had Lower Sales And Net Earnings Down–Long Haul to Get Software Technologies Merged So They Work

Let’s go back in time a little further as I have been around this business for a while to Misys Memory Lane when Misys and Allscripts merged in 2008, this was done once with integrated code, so a few years later here we go again and new compilers, etc. to bring in.  I don’t know how much or if any of the old Misys code is left but they grew by integrating and buying up other software so before Allscripts even came along you had integrated code to work with, so one wonders how much more can it go before you scratch and write a new system or considerably revamp big portions of the entire program.  This stuff takes time.  Remember these 2 guys telling us how great it would be and it did work but again we don’t know the back side and now it’s lot more expensive as there’s a lot more code. 

Misys-Allscripts merger is all about SaaS

Misys Sells Allscripts Shares to Enable Eclipsys Merger – Medical Records

Misys is still around but they don’t do medical records any more.  Last year they were even working with Humana to give doctors discounts to buy and again this was the original Allscripts system as the merged system had not arrived.

Revenue projections were based on the successful integration here-so much for business intelligence projections if the code is not all done.  I hope we get to hear more on this topic as folks dig in.  Investors beware of what some software folks claim when you have projects of a big magnitude as this.  I don’t think that maybe they lied outright, they may not have said anything as heck investors and consumers buying this kind of stock don’t understand it anyway and how it all has to come together, they just want money. 

The creative projecting with clients and revenue though I would think that some curious tech minded analysts might have asked about, and they are pretty sharp but when you get down to asking about “real” work in progress and don’t nail down the right specific questions, nobody’s going to tell you. 

So due to this fact and usually it’s the consumers getting bit by the algorithms and this time investors based on this lawsuit so we have the Attack of the Killer Algorithms (or lack of in this case) that came to bite.  Analysts with some IT background might want to think about making some on premise visits in the future you think?  That could or could not help though if they are not shown the entire picture and saw a lot of “virtual” work.  You just don’t know.  If you would like to read more about the other Killer Algorithm Chapter, use the link below or scroll down to the bottom left hand side of my blog for more every day examples on how the Killer Algorithms function today along with a ton of flawed data accumulating out there.   BD

 

Attack of the Killer Algorithms–Digest & Links for All Chapters–How Math and Crafty Formulas Today Running on Servers 24/7 Make Life Impacting Decisions About You–Updated 3-11-2012

 




Levi & Korsinsky announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of investors who purchased Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (“Allscripts” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: MDRX - News) securities between November 9, 2010 and April 26, 2012.

The Complaint alleges that the Company made materially false and misleading statements in regards to its progress in assimilating both Allscripts’ and Eclypsis’ disparate systems and its ability to translate its fragmented product lines into revenue. In particular, the Complaint alleges that defendants concealed from the investing public that: (a) the process of developing a unified product offering after the Merger had suffered debilitating setbacks which ultimately resulted in the loss of key personnel and harmful upheaval in Company leadership; (b) a material portion of Allscripts' revenue and net income was based on the successful integration of these systems and substantial business relationships had been destroyed by the inability to make material progress in this area; and (c) as a result of the foregoing, Allscripts lacked a reasonable basis for its claims of progress in post-Merger integration and continued growth.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/law-firm-levi-korsinsky-notifies-221000244.html


Researcher At San Francisco VA Medical Center Dies After Handling Rare Strain of Bacteria–Was Working On a Vaccine for Meningitis

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All who worked at the lab have all been vaccinated to protectimage as well as family members but according to the story here the vaccine would not have helped in his situation.  This was fast as he woke with a rash and then died on the way to the hospital from a heart attack.  Cal-OSHA is investigating and stated they are verifying that this was the same bacteria he was working with.  Back in 2001 we had an ex-Pfizer researcher speak out about safety in labs as she suffered exposure due to unsafe working conditions.  BD


Ex-Pfizer Scientist wins $1.37 Million in Lawsuit Against Pfizer in Biotech Viral Exposure Lawsuit


Lab workers at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs medical center will be urged to get vaccinations for the diseases they study as a precaution as investigators continue looking into a researcher's death after he handled a rare strain of bacteria, officials said Thursday.

Richard Din, the meningitis research associate who died Saturday in a possible lab exposure, wasn't vaccinated for the illness despite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to the contrary. Nonetheless, the VA's Harry Lampiris said a vaccine may not have protected Din, 25, because he was helping to develop a vaccine for a meningitis strain resistant to vaccine.

"Laboratory-acquired infection represents an occupational hazard unique to laboratory workers, especially those in the microbiology laboratory," Kamaljit Singh of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center concluded in a 2009 scientific paper published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Singh estimated that 500,000 lab workers handle dangerous germs in the United States.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/03/national/a160829D91.DTL


Novartis Buys Generic Dermatology Company Fougera Pharma for $1.5 Billion

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Sandoz is the generic division of Novartis and the acquisiton of Fougera will reside within this division it appears.  The two companies already service some of the same accounts.  BD

Novartis is buying specialty dermatology generics firm Fougera Pharmaceuticals for $1.525 billion in cash. The Swiss drug imagegiant says adding Fougera to its Sandoz generics business will transform the latter into the world’s biggest generic dermatology medicines operation, with estimated annual global sales approaching $620 million.



The addition of Fougera’s leading portfolio further strengthens Sandoz’ differentiated products strategy,” comments Jeff George, global head of Sandoz. “Fougera brings us valuable technical capabilities in the area of topical dermatology products, particularly in the development and manufacturing of semisolid forms such as creams and ointments.”

http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/novartis-to-buy-dermatology-generics-firm-fougera-for-1-525b-cash/81246720/