By Shania Kennedy

January 23, 2024 – A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has created a valuable resource for the medical research community. This repository, named the Medical Informatics Operating Room Vitals and Events Repository (MOVER), is designed to facilitate the development of new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and enhance patient outcomes.

MOVER comprises electronic health records (EHRs) and detailed physiological waveforms obtained from monitors that track a patient’s physiological data either in real-time or on a minute-by-minute basis during surgical procedures. The database encompasses data from approximately 59,000 patients who underwent a total of 83,500 surgeries.

Within this repository, researchers can access a wealth of information regarding each patient’s medical history, surgical procedures, medications administered, as well as any postoperative complications that may have arisen. These insights hold the potential to improve patient outcomes when integrated into AI models.

Delving Deeper

Dr. Maxime Cannesson, a professor and chair of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, highlighted the significance of this data in clinical decision-making within acute care settings. He emphasized the unprecedented access researchers now have to a vast volume of data, including crucial physiological waveforms.

The development of MOVER, initiated in 2012, aims to address a gap in perioperative surgery research. The research team emphasized the scarcity of publicly available databases containing comprehensive surgical outcome data.

Dr. Cannesson expressed optimism about the potential impact of MOVER on global surgical care, anticipating the development of new algorithms and predictive tools to enhance patient care. This release marks the first instance of such a comprehensive surgical database becoming available, covering a broad spectrum of surgical procedures.

Looking ahead, the team intends to share the dataset with researchers who agree to a data use agreement (DUA). UCLA’s involvement in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “Bridge to AI” initiative will facilitate standardization of MOVER data across multiple institutions, thereby expanding the repository’s reach.

Privacy and transparency are paramount considerations in the repository’s development. Dr. Cannesson highlighted the extensive de-identification process undertaken to safeguard patient privacy, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.

The ultimate goal is to foster trust among clinicians and patients in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence-based models, particularly within the surgical domain.

This research initiative represents a significant stride in leveraging AI for perioperative care enhancement.

In a recent interview with HealthITAnalytics, experts from Mayo Clinic discussed their endeavors to leverage AI tools for advancements in organ transplant practices. Their focus areas include preempting transplant needs, refining donor matching processes, optimizing organ utility, preventing rejection, and elevating post-transplant care standards.