Name: Carla Pugh, MD, PhD

Specialty: General Surgeon. Professor of Surgery

Location: Stanford University School of Medicine

You’ve no doubt heard this famous quote from science fiction writer, William Gibson, “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.” What better way to describe technology and medicine?  The runway for technological innovation and adoption is just a little longer in our world. What other profession or industry can you think of that still uses pagers and fax machines?

So where can we look for a sneak peek into the future? How about sports? Motion tracking sensors, video analysis, performance modeling, biometrics, wearables, “Moneyball” data analytics. This is old stuff for the coaches, trainers, scouts, and team managers who use these technologies every day. But what can we learn by putting this same technology to work in the operating room? To answer that question, we’re thrilled to have Dr. Carla Pugh with us today. Dr. Pugh is a professor of General Surgery, and Director of the Technology Enabled Clinical Improvement Center at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is one of the world’s leading researchers in the use of sensors and simulation technology to assess and quantitatively define hands-on clinical skills. This was a fun and eye-opening episode on what is coming around the corner. With that said, let’s get started…

Links & Resources:

Dr. Carla Pugh: https://profiles.stanford.edu/carla-pugh

NBA and sports sensor tracking: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bendowsett/2020/07/09/sources-nba-to-use-kinexon-sensor-technology-for-distancing-on-orlando-campus/#3d36f58eafe4

Training surgeons like professional athletes: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=21911

Virtual training company she consults for: https://www.precisionostech.com/medical-device-companies/

NIH Presentation: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=21911

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9D-vxGkHTc

Stanford Technology Enabled Improvement Center: https://www.stryker.com/us/en/training-and-education/orthopaedics/spine/spine-medical-education/on-demand-webinars.html

CV: https://cap.stanford.edu/profiles/viewCV?facultyId=187802&name=Carla_Pugh

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