Those working in the health sector will tell you of the patient who's sick - but doesn't want to be a bother, so doesn't ask for help, even though they really need it.
Or the family that is desperately worried about the health of their loved one, who is pretending that's everything's ok, when it's not.
Kathryn speaks with Dr Margaret Sandham, who's spear-headed a study into how machine learning could help in the palliative care sector, picking up crucial symptoms that can mark a change in the health of a patient, so appropriate care can be given.
The research, conducted by AUT, analysed the symptoms of 800 patients at an Auckland hospice, using a combination of statistical tools, machine learning, and network visualisation.
Margaret explains how the data could have application for mobile apps and wearable technology - a much less intrusive way of keeping tabs on the health of a patient, than constant phone calls or visits from health workers.
Photo: Supplied, 123RF
