WCM-Q students, faculty and alumni collaborate on study into 'smart' medical technology

Doha: Three generations of students and alumni of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) have collaborated on a multi-national, multi-institutional study into the future of ‘smart’ wearable medical devices.

The research, the most extensive review ever conducted of wearable medical devices, covers the application of the technology in cardiovascular care, and how they can be used for a variety of diseases and conditions, such as heart attacks, heart failure and arrythmias. The study then discusses the various challenges that are facing the widespread use of the devices, like accuracy, regulation, data security and cost.

The WCM-Q alumni who worked on the study are Dr. Mohamed Elshazly, now an assistant professor of medicine at WCM-Q, and the Class of 2016’s Dr. Karim Bayoumy, who is currently an internal medicine resident in New York. Both doctors mentored current WCM-Q students Abdallah El Shafy and Omar Mehaimeed, who are expected to graduate next year.

Dr. Elshazly said: “I loved being able to build this team of students and through this study they have gained significant expertise in this kind of digital technology. This is the future, and it will be an integral part of their practice, whether it is cardiological or not.

“For students to be able to write about this very advanced subject is a very big thing for them and these students now know more than many fully-qualified doctors.

“It’s a lot of work to mentor but the collective experience was very valuable for both myself and the students. I learned a lot from them as there were studies they found that I didn’t know about.”

For Abdallah and Omar it was a chance to increase their exposure to research and learn more about the process of writing a paper from concept to publication. Their input involved gathering data on the different forms of smart wearables, the parameters they measure, the engineering principles of wearable sensors, their use in cardiovascular patient care, and their accuracy. They also reviewed the most critical clinical studies on the most common cardiovascular application in the last 15 years.

They said: “We were guided throughout the entire process and had meetings regularly. Dr. Elshazly explained to us the aims and objectives of the paper and the different components he wanted us to include. We regularly consulted him with whatever questions we had, whether it was related to the literature we had to search for or determining what is relevant to the aims of the paper. He was always able to guide us in the right direction.

“Broadly speaking, Dr. Elshazly would provide us with the general outline that aimed to meet our objectives of the paper. We would then meet with Dr. Bayoumy and he would help break it down even further so that it can flow with the rest of the paper.

“Both were great mentors with a lot of knowledge and experience, and we were very lucky to have the opportunity to work with them.”

The research, ‘Smart wearable devices in cardiovascular care: Where are we and how to move forward’, has since been published in Nature Reviews.

Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, senior associate dean for medical education and continuing professional development at WCM-Q, said the research was an excellent example of mentorship offering students opportunities to make a difference in the real world.

She said: “Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar places great importance on research, alongside the traditional medical curriculum, and there are many opportunities for students to become involved with a variety of studies based on their interests. We expect our graduates to become scientists-physicians, and to strive for greater knowledge throughout their careers.

“Omar and Abdallah are already excellent examples of this, and it is particularly gratifying that not only was Dr. Elshazly involved in their mentorship, but also Dr. Bayoumy, another alumnus of WCM-Q.”

The full research paper can be read here  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-021-00522-7 .

-Ends -

About Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar 

Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar is a partnership between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation. It offers a comprehensive six-year medical program leading to the Cornell University M.D. degree with teaching by Cornell and Weill Cornell faculty and by physicians at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, the Primary Health Care Corporation, the Feto Maternal Center, and Sidra Medicine, who hold Weill Cornell appointments. Through its biomedical research program, WCM-Q is building a sustainable research community in Qatar while advancing basic science and clinical research. Through its medical college, WCM-Q seeks to provide the finest education possible for medical students, to improve health care both now and for future generations, and to provide high quality health care to the Qatari population.

For more info, please contact
Hanan Lakkis
Associate Director, Media and Publications
Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar
hyl2004@qatar-med.cornell.edu  

© Press Release 2021