Naik Lab

Bhiken I. Naik MBBCh, MSCR

Dr. Bhiken Naik is the Principal Investigator of the Naik Lab, leading efforts to enhance perioperative data access and quality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With expertise in global health, perioperative outcomes research, and mHealth development, he focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence and mobile health platforms like EQUAL and PositiveTrends to improve care in LMICs. Born and trained in South Africa, his early experiences at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital shaped his commitment to addressing data access gaps in anesthesia care. His research spans perioperative pain management, lung-protective ventilation, blood conservation, and organ injury prevention. Through scalable, data-driven solutions, the Naik Lab is hoping to improve surgical outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Current Funding
12/24 to 05/26
African Collaborative on Surgical Data Equity and System Strengthening: ACCESS Program
Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation
PI: Bhiken Naik
Role: Principal Investigator

Completed Funding
12/23 to 03/25
Intraoperative Anesthesia and Outcomes Dataset: Improving patient outcomes by predicting risk of mortality and post-operative recovery
Lacuna Fund
PI: Bhiken Naik
Role: Principal Investigator
https://portal.ithriv.org/#/public_commons/project/d9fc062c-64c9-4481-80e7-3db4aba17e00

Ryan Folks
Data Scientist

Ryan Folks
Ryan Douglas Folks is a Data Scientist in the Department of Anesthesiology, specializing in computer vision and healthcare data analysis. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from James Madison University and an M.S. in Data Science from the University of Virginia, where he developed expertise in software engineering, machine learning, and data-driven healthcare solutions. His work focuses on developing an mHealth platform that digitizes paper anesthesia records using smartphone photography, enabling real-time patient monitoring, quality feedback, and retrospective research. Ryan’s involvement in this field began during his Master’s program at UVA, where he collaborated on a capstone project addressing anesthesia record digitization. Since then, he has played a key role in refining and optimizing the software, improving its accuracy and reliability. Currently, he leads a team finalizing the alpha version of this technology for integration into clinical workflows, helping to bridge data gaps in perioperative care.

1. Annapareddy N, Fallin K, Folks R, et al. Handwritten text and digit classification on Rwandan perioperative flowsheets via YOLOv5. IEEE; 2022:270-275.
2. Folks RD, Naik BI, Brown DE, Durieux ME. Computer vision digitization of smartphone images of anesthesia paper health records from low-middle income countries. BMC Bioinformatics. May 7 2024;25(1):178. doi:10.1186/s12859-024-05785-8
3. Naik B, Folks R, Kluyts H, Banguti P. Data from: Sub Saharan Africa Surgical Outcomes Datasheet. 2025. UVA Dataverse. doi:10.18130/V3/M7HJHL
4. Naik B, Folks R, Kluyts H, Banguti P. Sub Saharan Africa Surgical Outcomes Dataset: Site 2. 2025;doi:10.18130/V3/7HHLWM
5. Naik B, Folks R, Kluyts H, Banguti P. Sub Saharan Africa Surgical Outcomes Dataset: Site 1. 2025;doi:10.18130/V3/3ITQE4
6. Folks R MC, Valenty H, and Beck, M. ChartExtractor [Computer software]. ChartExtractor [Computer software]. https://github.com/Paper-Chart-Extraction-Project/ChartExtractor
7. Naik B, Folks R, Marche C, et al. Bridging the Anesthesia Digital Data Gap in Low-Middle-Income Countries: Computer Vision-Ready Paper Health Records. medRxiv. 2025:2025.02.09.25321925. doi:10.1101/2025.02.09.25321925
8. Adorno W, Yi A, Durieux M, Brown D. Hand-drawn Symbol Recognition of Surgical Flowsheet Graphs with Deep Image Segmentation. IEEE; 2020:295-302.
9. Rho V, Yi A, Channavajjala B, et al. Digitization of perioperative surgical flowsheets. IEEE; 2020:1-6.
10. Blankemeier M, Rambo S, Radossich J, et al. Digitization of Surgical Flowsheets. IEEE; 2021:1-6.
11. Murphy E, Samuel S, Cho J, et al. Checkbox Detection on Rwandan Perioperative Flowsheets using Convolutional Neural Network. IEEE; 2021:1-6.
12. Ndaribitse C, Durieux ME, Adorno W, Brown DE, Tsang S, Naik BI. Digitization of Symbol-Denoted Blood Pressure Data From Intraoperative Paper Health Records in a Low-Middle-Income Country Using Deep Image Segmentation and Associated Postoperative Outcomes: A Feasibility Study. Anesth Analg. Aug 25 2022;doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000006176

EQUAL: Transforming Anaesthesia Documentation with AI-Driven Data Digitization

EQUAL is a cutting-edge platform designed to digitize anaesthesia paper records, revolutionizing the way perioperative data is captured, stored, and analyzed. By leveraging computer vision technology, EQUAL efficiently extracts critical information from handwritten and printed anaesthesia records, ensuring seamless data archiving and accessibility. This innovation enhances clinical documentation, streamlines workflow efficiency, and enables data-driven decision-making for anaesthesia providers, researchers, and healthcare institutions.

Harnessing Computer Vision for Data Extraction

Traditional paper-based anaesthesia records often present challenges in data retrieval and long-term storage, leading to inefficiencies in clinical practice and quality improvement efforts. EQUAL utilizes advanced computer vision techniques to automatically recognize, extract, and structure information from intraoperative records. By applying machine learning models trained on diverse handwriting styles and printed formats, the system ensures high accuracy in data interpretation, minimizing manual entry errors and reducing administrative burden for clinicians.

Through deep learning-based image processing, EQUAL transforms raw images of paper forms into structured, analyzable datasets. This enables real-time access to anaesthesia records, improving clinical decision-making and patient safety while preserving valuable historical data for retrospective analysis.

Unlocking Insights for Research and Quality Improvement

The digitized data collected through EQUAL serves as a resource for both research and quality improvement initiatives. By aggregating and analyzing large-scale anaesthesia records, hospitals and academic institutions can identify trends, measure key performance indicators, and develop evidence-based interventions to enhance perioperative care.

Key Applications for Research and Quality Improvement:

1. Patient Safety Monitoring: Identify patterns in intraoperative complications, adverse events, and medication administration errors to implement targeted safety protocols.
2. Anaesthesia Practice Audits: Assess compliance with clinical guidelines, optimize drug dosing strategies, and evaluate provider performance.
3. Predictive Analytics: Use AI-driven models to predict patient outcomes, enabling early intervention strategies for high-risk cases.
4. Health Policy and Resource Allocation: Provide data-driven insights to inform hospital policies, resource distribution, and cost-effectiveness analyses.
5. Medical Education and Training: Utilize anonymized real-world data to improve clinical training programs and enhance decision-making skills among anaesthesia trainees.

Scalable, Low-Cost, and Adaptable

EQUAL is designed with scalability in mind, making it an ideal solution for healthcare settings in low- and middle-income countries where digital health infrastructure may be limited. By enabling the use of smartphones to capture and digitize records, the platform eliminates the need for costly electronic health record (EHR) systems, making digital documentation more accessible and feasible in resource-limited environments.

Furthermore, EQUAL ensures data security and confidentiality through encryption and de-identification protocols, aligning with global healthcare data protection standards.

Driving the Future of Anaesthesia Informatics

By bridging the gap between paper records and digital transformation, EQUAL empowers healthcare providers to make data-driven decisions, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to anaesthesia-related research on a global scale. As AI and computer vision technologies continue to evolve, EQUAL remains at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that every anaesthesia record becomes an asset for advancing perioperative care.

Join us in shaping the future of anaesthesia documentation—one digital record at a time.

EQUAL App – Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 3/16/2025

Welcome to the EQUAL app (“App”). Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our App. By using the App, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

a. Personal Information

• Name, email address, and professional details (e.g., hospital affiliation) when creating an account.
• Contact information when reaching out for support.

b. Usage Data

• Log data, including IP addresses, device information, and timestamps of App interactions.
• App usage statistics and error reports to improve performance.

c. Data Collected for Research and Quality Improvement

• The App may collect anonymized intraoperative anaesthesia data for analysis and research.
• No personally identifiable patient information is collected or stored.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected data for the following purposes:

• To provide and improve the App’s functionality and user experience.
• To facilitate anaesthesia quality improvement and research initiatives.
• To ensure compliance with legal and ethical requirements.
• To respond to user inquiries and provide customer support.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or rent your personal information. However, we may share information in the following circumstances:

• With Research Partners: Aggregated and anonymized data may be shared with research institutions for anaesthesia-related studies.
• With Service Providers: Third-party vendors assisting in App maintenance and analytics may process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
• For Legal Compliance: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or security of users and our services.

4. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, no system can be 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Retention

We retain data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. Anonymized research data may be stored for extended periods to support ongoing studies.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your data:

• Access, update, or delete your personal information.
• Restrict or object to data processing.
• Withdraw consent for data collection.
• Request a copy of your data.

To exercise these rights, contact us at equalanaesthesia@uvahealth.org.

7. Third-Party Links and Services

The App may contain links to external websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party platforms.

8. Children’s Privacy

The App is not intended for use by children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Any significant changes will be communicated through the App or our website. Your continued use of the App after such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at equalanaesthesia@uvahealth.org.

By using the EQUAL app, you acknowledge and agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.

EQUAL App – Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: 3/16/2025

Welcome to the EQUAL app (“App”), a platform designed to enhance anaesthesia care through digital data collection and analysis. By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the App, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

2. Use of the App

The App is intended for healthcare professionals and researchers involved in anaesthesia care and quality improvement initiatives.

You agree to use the App only for lawful purposes and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Unauthorized access, modification, or distribution of the App’s software, data, or services is prohibited.

3. User Accounts

You may need to create an account to use certain features of the App.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.

You agree to notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

4. Data Collection and Privacy

The App may collect and process anonymized intraoperative anaesthesia data for research and quality improvement purposes.

Your use of the App is subject to our Privacy Policy, which details how we handle personal and institutional data.

5. Intellectual Property

All content, trademarks, and intellectual property within the App are owned by EQUAL or its licensors.

You may not reproduce, modify, or distribute any part of the App without explicit permission.

6. Disclaimers

The App is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis without warranties of any kind.

The App does not provide medical advice. Users must exercise clinical judgment and adhere to professional standards when using the data collected.

We are not responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or outcomes resulting from reliance on the App.

7. Limitation of Liability

EQUAL, its affiliates, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the App.

8. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the App if you violate these Terms.

9. Updates and Modifications

We may update these Terms at any time, and continued use of the App constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

10. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of the United States.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at equalanaesthesia@uvahealth.org.

By using the EQUAL app, you acknowledge and agree to these Terms and Conditions.