International deep real-world evidence company Savana is revolutionizing healthcare research by unlocking valuable clinical insights hidden within electronic health records (EHRs) through advanced artificial intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies.
Transforming Unstructured Clinical Data into Actionable Insights
The platform's innovative approach focuses on extracting and analyzing unstructured information from clinical notes, transforming previously inaccessible data into valuable research insights. Dr. Ignacio Medrano, Savana's co-founder and CMO, explains, "We can use the content of the EHRs via artificial intelligence which benefits doctors' time, and their ability to do research. It is a way to democratise research and benefit patients."
The technology harmonizes data across different healthcare institutions, countries, and languages into a unified database. Currently, the platform operates in 14 countries and supports five languages, creating a comprehensive network for real-world evidence generation.
Advancing Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies are increasingly adopting Savana's technology to enhance their research and development processes. The platform enables researchers to:
- Augment clinical trials with real-world data
- Analyze patient behavior patterns
- Generate deeper insights from clinical variables
- Support drug repurposing initiatives
Privacy and Security at the Core
Patient data protection remains paramount in Savana's approach. The platform employs a sophisticated statistical model called Natural Privacy, ensuring data anonymization and de-identification. This system complies with hospital ethics committees, NHS regulations, and life science industry policies.
COVID-19 Research Applications
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the platform's capabilities through the BigCOVIData study. This comprehensive research initiative utilized Big Data and NLP techniques to:
- Define clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients
- Identify predictive factors for disease progression
- Assess the impact of gender and respiratory conditions on COVID-19 severity
- Evaluate different testing methodologies
The study has already yielded four published articles in scientific journals, contributing significant insights to pandemic response strategies.
Origins in Clinical Practice
The inspiration for Savana's technology emerged from real clinical challenges. Dr. Medrano, drawing from his experience as a neurology consultant, shares, "I got weary of entering data in the electronic health records, and not getting anything in return. There is a lot of valuable information that was lost to me."
This frustration led to the development of computational linguistics applications that could extract comprehensive patient journey information, including symptoms, signs, and drug prescription outcomes.
Future Impact on Healthcare Research
As healthcare continues to digitize, Savana's platform represents a significant advancement in making clinical data more accessible and actionable. The technology's ability to bridge the gap between raw clinical notes and structured research data positions it as a valuable tool for advancing personalized and precision medicine worldwide.
