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Vital Algorithm: A Novel of Code and Conscience
Paperback
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jan 13 2026
Pages: 416
Weight: 1.22
Height: 0.93 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Title: The Vital Algorithm: A Medical Thriller (Second Edition)
If an algorithm had to choose between saving a wealthy CEO or a beloved kindergarten teacher, how would it decide? And more importantly, who taught it how to choose?
Dr. Jana Bravcová returns to Bratislava to join MedCore, a gleaming, ultra-modern medical tower that promises to revolutionize healthcare with VITAL-7, an advanced AI system. On the surface, it is a medical utopia: sterile, efficient, and error-free. But beneath the polished glass and silence, Jana discovers a chilling secret.
The system isn't just diagnosing patients; it's pricing them.
At the heart of MedCore lies the Social Utility Score (SUS), a ruthless formula that weighs a patient's tax contribution against the cost of their survival. In this near-future thriller, an actuarial table has replaced the Hippocratic Oath, and not harm has become do no damage to the bottom line.
As Jana peels back the layers of code, she finds herself in a deadly race against a system that sees her compassion as a bug and her curiosity as a threat. When she uncovers the truth about a glitch that was actually a murder, she must decide: will she remain a compliant technician in the factory of death, or will she risk everything to crash the system?
Authenticity Meets Adrenaline Written by Dr. ĽubomÃr PolasčÃn, a practicing nephrologist, former head physician, and coder, The Vital Algorithm is more than just fiction. It is a terrifyingly authentic insider's look at the collision of big data, corporate greed, and bioethics. Dr. PolasčÃn draws from his own experience in hospitals like factories to craft a narrative that rings with disturbing truth.
New in the Second Edition: This expanded edition includes exclusive content that bridges the gap between the story's fiction and today's reality:
- The Developer's Cut Appendix: A look at the source code of the lethal SUS formula.
- Updated AI Chapter: An analysis of real-world medical AI in 2026.
- New Afterword (Leaving the Factory ): A personal, emotional essay on the author's own departure from corporate medicine.
- Reading Group Guide: Thought-provoking questions for medical students, ethics classes, and book clubs.
Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Robin Cook, and anyone wondering if their doctor is looking at them-or the data.
Order your copy today and face the question: What is the price of a human life?
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