At MDClone, my role in leading our customer education strategies allows me to witness firsthand the power of effective learning in transforming how customers use our platform. I understand that in today’s fast-paced world, it’s hard to find time for training while juggling life, work, and other priorities. With the average attention span shrinking in recent years, it’s even more challenging to engage learners effectively. That’s why I’m passionate about creating training programs that meet learners where they are, engaging them even when their attention spans are pulled in every direction.

One approach we’ve embraced at MDClone is microlearning, delivering bite-sized training – short, focused training segments that deliver impactful lessons in just 3 to 5 minutes. This format makes it easy for users to dive in, learn, and apply new skills without disrupting their busy schedules.

Learning from Our Customers

At Assuta Hospital, we worked closely with their team to deliver four synchronous training classes for 50 participants. From the first hour, their champions were already exploring the ASK module hands-on, building expertise in managing their own ADAMS projects. Similarly, Sheba Medical Center has adopted a train-the-trainer approach, delivering department-specific ADAMS courses to unlock new insights and improve operational efficiency. These collaborations remind me every day how impactful focused, practical learning can be.

Empowering Success with MDClone Academy

Personalized Training for Real-World Impact

One of my favorite parts of my job is collaborating with a team to design custom onboarding solutions that meet specific customer needs. Tailored training not only accelerates onboarding but also boosts learners’ confidence and satisfaction, leading to more effective product utilization. These programs reduce support requirements and create champions who drive innovation within their organizations.

For example, Sheba Medical Center, department-specific ADAMS courses aimed at training champions in ADAMS usage. These courses focus on leveraging departmental data to improve care and enhance operational efficiency. Watching these teams unlock the potential of their data reinforces why we do what we do—it’s not just about learning tools; it’s about transforming insights into action.

Join the Movement

It’s incredibly rewarding to see customers like The Ottawa Hospital, Assuta Hospital and Sheba Medical Center turn their teams into data champions. Through hands-on learning and personalized training, they’ve driven innovation, improved efficiency, and unlocked the full potential of the ADAMS platform.

If you’re ready to empower your team and take your organization to new heights, let’s connect. Together, we can transform data into actionable insights and achieve remarkable results.

The AMIA 2024 Annual Symposium was more than just a conference—it was a gathering of the brightest minds in healthcare informatics. It provided a space where collaboration and innovative ideas sparked breakthroughs that save lives. This year, as I watched, learned, and listened, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment seeing our clients—true leaders in this field—play an integral role in shaping the conversation.  

The power to empower safe exploration is paving the way for breakthroughs and scale. While the foundational themes of design and rigor remained central, new ideas around AI, innovation, access, and collaboration took center stage. As always, AMIA left us enriched with insights and inspired by moments of discovery, collaboration, and impact.  

Privacy-Preservation & Access

Dr. Michael Kearns’ keynote highlighted a critical theme: the intersection of privacy and data access. He emphasized the growing importance of techniques like differential privacy as a solution to challenges in data accessibility—music to my ears. Differential privacy is a concept we champion at MDClone, and we’re proud to support the responsible exploration, testing, and refinement of data solutions, especially for AI development. 

This keynote was a “leaning into the why” moment for me. Amidst the many conversations about AI at AMIA, the discussions were rooted in the principles informaticians have been refining for decades: data, design, and outcomes matter. MDClone is uniquely positioned to unlock the full potential of data-driven discovery while ensuring secure practices, bridging the gap between innovation and protection.  

Shared Vision of Success

This year’s symposium echoed a sentiment articulated in Dr. Atul Butte’s acceptance speech for the Morris F. Collen Award: “Success is infinitely divisible.” It was remarkable to witness the speed at which collaborations formed within this ecosystem. 

One standout moment was a data-driven dialogue between Dr. Innie Chen from The Ottawa Hospital and Julie Johnson from the University of Chicago. Their shared presentation focused on analyzing pre-operative hemoglobin and aligned themes of self-service data access with MDClone’s ADAMS Center approach. Dr. Chen shared her perspective as a clinician leveraging data for better outcomes, while Julie highlighted a people-process-platform approach, demonstrating early wins in labs, medication, and imaging stewardship. 

Similarly, Washington University in St. Louis drew crowds to their sessions, particularly those featuring MDClone. From a workshop on training machine learning models with MDClone’s synthetic data extracts to a session on innovative applications of synthetic data alongside VA/Stanford partners, the energy was palpable. The conversations and opportunities for collaboration were engaging and uplifting.  These moments underscored the immense potential for unrestricted exploration, cross-institutional collaboration, accelerated development, and global accessibility—all central to advancing healthcare informatics. 

Key Highlights

1. Transformative Integration of AI: Groundbreaking innovations in health informatics, particularly in AI, paved the way for smarter, more efficient patient care.
2. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The symposium reinforced the critical role of teamwork and robust customer support in driving meaningful advancements.
3. Insights and Impact: Attendees shared insights on enhancing patient care, advancing research, and influencing health policies to create a healthier future.

Inspiring Moments

Designing Machine Learning Algorithms: A hands-on workshop led by Jacob Krive, PhD, Randi Foraker, PhD, Adam Wilcox, PhD, and Samer Al-Droubi explored the full machine learning (ML) development cycle, from clinical definition to implementation, using open-source tools and OMOP data.  Session Name: Designing machine learning algorithms and analytics to support interdisciplinary clinical subspecialties

Innovative Applications of Synthetic Data: Randi Foraker, PhD, Adam Wilcox, PhD, and Suzanne Tamang, PhD, provided a comprehensive overview of synthetic data’s transformative potential, offering valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.  Session Name: Innovative Applications of Synthetic Data in Healthcare and Beyond 

Empowering Researchers with MDClone: Dr. Innie Chen and Julie Johnson led a compelling session showcasing how MDClone’s self-service platform accelerates research and improves outcomes, highlighting its game-changing capabilities.  Session Name: Unlocking Healthcare Insights: How MDClone Empowers Researchers to Transform Data into Action 

Conclusion

The AMIA 2024 Annual Symposium was a powerful reminder of the immense potential unlocked through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to improving lives. It was inspiring to witness our client partners translating data into real-world care. 

At MDClone, we are proud to provide the tools and platforms enabling change-makers to transform healthcare and continue innovating. I left the conference invigorated, equipped with new knowledge and connections to drive positive change. Together, we’re shaping a future where every insight becomes an opportunity.  

I’d love to hear from you! What innovations or challenges in healthcare excite or concern you? Reach out and share your thoughts on the future of healthcare.

Some projects become more than just work—they become the reason you love what you do. That’s exactly how I feel about our collaboration with Intermountain Health, where we explored the impact of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy on patients with radiation cystitis. From the first meeting with Dr. Lindell Weaver, Medical Director and Chief of Hyperbaric Medicine, and Kayla Deru, a talented medical writer at Intermountain Health, I knew we had something special.  

As one of the first projects I took on at MDClone, I can confidently say I hit the partnership jackpot. Dr. Weaver’s clinical expertise and Kayla’s ability to distill complex insights were invaluable. Together, we had weekly discussions to aggregate data, visualize trends, and uncover findings that could change the way this condition is treated. It’s rare to work with partners as generous with their time and knowledge as these two, and every conversation felt both productive and genuinely enjoyable.   

Why Radiation Cystitis? 

Radiation cystitis is a tough condition, affecting over 10% of patients undergoing pelvic radiation therapy. Its symptoms range from discomfort to severe complications like hematuria and incontinence, placing a significant burden on patients and their families. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, has shown promise in promoting tissue healing and reducing inflammation for these patients. To study its impact, we used the MDClone ADAMS platform, which allowed us to quickly and effectively identify, capture, and analyze the data needed for this vital research.    

Our findings confirmed that HBO₂ therapy is associated with decreased mortality and improved quality of life in radiation cystitis patients, and that delays in diagnosis and referral may increase transfusion needs. The study emphasized the importance of early intervention and the benefits of HBO₂ therapy. From my perspective as a clinician, seeing these data-driven insights has been incredibly rewarding—it’s about translating complex data into real-life improvements in patient outcomes.    

The Joy of Collaboration 

Reflecting on this project, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to apply my clinical background to collaborative research that can benefit so many. Projects like these offer a real chance to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients. I am honored to have partnered on such meaningful work.

It’s been a privilege to work closely with Suzanne Tamang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford Health, over the past 10 months. From the moment we started collaborating, it was clear that Suzanne brings unparalleled enthusiasm and a deep understanding of how complex healthcare data can unlock powerful solutions. I’ve worked on several collaborations with the VA using our synthetic data capabilities — like Mission Daybreak which focuses on suicide prevention, and other VA initiatives— but this latest project stands out because it merges two seemingly unrelated domains: climate change and autoimmune diseases.  

Suzanne and her team at Stanford are tackling an urgent and complex question: How does environmental exposure impact autoimmune disorders over time? This is no small task, as autoimmune diseases are notoriously difficult to study. They affect each patient differently, and tracing environmental triggers—like changes in temperature, air quality, or wildfire exposure—requires large-scale, nuanced data. That’s where our partnership, built around synthetic data, becomes game-changing.  

A Closer Look at the Project 

At the heart of Suzanne’s research is a synthetic data model, derived from de-identified patient information. This gives us the ability to explore questions we couldn’t answer before, without compromising patient privacy. Synthetic data is like a digital twin of real-world data—capturing the patterns, relationships, and complexity of clinical and environmental events, while remaining completely secure and anonymous.  

The magic of this collaboration lies in Suzanne’s knack for crowdsourcing knowledge and insights. Her team works not only within Stanford Health but also taps into an ecosystem of collaborators across the VA and beyond. I’ve seen firsthand how this open, collaborative approach allows us to scale research and accelerate insights—essential for tackling problems as far-reaching as climate change’s impact on public health.  

A recent study from Suzanne’s group, featured in Stanford’s Department of Medicine Annual Report, found novel links between climate stressors and flare-ups in autoimmune conditions. These findings have the potential to transform the way we approach patient care, enabling healthcare providers to predict flare-ups more accurately and recommend preventive measures tailored to

Working on this project has reminded me why I was drawn to this company in the first place: the power of synthetic data to enable innovation at scale. Suzanne’s team effectively utilizes the flexibility of our self-service data platform to quickly test and generate hypotheses. Suzanne’s team takes full advantage of the flexibility offered by our self-service data platform, testing hypotheses quickly and efficiently. The insights we’ve gained over the past 10 months have been nothing short of inspiring, not just for what they reveal about climate and autoimmune health, but for what they represent—the future of collaborative research.  

Suzanne’s passion is infectious. She makes every meeting feel like a brainstorming session with endless possibilities. She’s unafraid to tackle big questions, and that energy has pushed me—and everyone involved in the project—to think bigger and work harder.  

What excites me most is the potential ripple effect of this work. Climate change is already reshaping how we think about health, and projects like this help us anticipate and mitigate what’s coming. What excites me most is the potential ripple effect of this work. Climate change is already reshaping the way we think about health, and projects like this help us anticipate what’s coming. Together, we’re building tools that could allow clinicians to act sooner, personalize care more effectively, and ultimately improve outcomes for patients dealing with chronic autoimmune diseases.  

The Road Ahead 

As our work progresses, I’m excited to see how this research evolves and contributes to even broader applications—across the VA and other healthcare systems. It’s partnerships like this that remind me why I love what I do. Working alongside customers who push boundaries—and with technologies that enable real-world change—is why I chose to become a Data Scientist.  

This journey has reinforced one simple truth: collaboration drives impact. When researchers, clinicians, and data scientists come together with a shared goal, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. And with partners like Suzanne leading the charge, I know we’re on the right path.  

Stay tuned—there’s more to come from this incredible partnership.