Mohammed Al-Omran

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly integrated into healthcare, offering potential advancements in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for surgical populations. Improved PROMs can enhance patient-centered care by accurately capturing patient experiences with minimal burden. Objective: In the context of surgery, where recovery trajectories vary widely, this study aims to systematically review the use of AI and ML in the development, application, and prediction capabilities of PROMs in surgical populations, with a focus on psychometric properties and the predictive accuracy of post-surgical outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was conducted from inception until August 2024. Studies were included if they utilized AI or ML in the development, application, or predicting PROMs for surgical patients. Methodological quality was assessed using COSMIN and PROBAST tools, depending on study design. A qualitative synthesis of findings was performed. Results: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, with 19 rated as high quality. Six studies focused on developing computer adaptive tests (CAT) PROMs, seven on evaluating psychometric properties, and five on ML for post-surgical outcome prediction. CAT PROMs showed comparable measurement accuracy to traditional PROMs, good to excellent construct validity, and significantly reduced patient burden by reducing the length of questionnaires. ML algorithms, such as logistic regression, random forests, extreme gradient boosting, and neural networks, achieved similar predictive accuracy for post-surgical outcomes, with no single model demonstrating consistent superiority. Conclusions: AI and ML have the potential to improve PROM utilization in surgical care by enhancing efficiency and personalization while maintaining data quality. Clinicians can use AI-driven PROMs to reduce patient burden and integrate ML models for accurate post-surgical outcome prediction, thereby optimizing patient-centered care.

Arteriovenous (AV) access is important to support long-term hemodialysis; however, a significant proportion fail due to inadequate maturation or other complications. Tools that can predict long-term AV access success may guide clinical decision-making but remain limited. We developed machine learning (ML) algorithms that predict 1-year successful clinical use of an AV access using pre-operative data. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) was used to identify patients who underwent surgical AV fistula/graft creation between 2011–2024. We identified 111 pre-operative demographic, clinical, and anatomic features. Six ML models were trained with 10-fold cross-validation. Overall, 59,674 patients underwent AV access creation and 28,304 (47.4%) had 1-year successful clinical use of their index AV access. The best prediction model was XGBoost, achieving an AUROC of 0.90. In comparison, logistic regression had an AUROC of 0.70. The XGBoost model accurately predicted 1-year successful clinical use of an AV access for hemodialysis, performing better than logistic regression.

Endovascular aortoiliac revascularization is a common treatment option for peripheral artery disease that carries non-negligible risks. Outcome prediction tools may support clinical decision-making but remain limited. We developed machine learning algorithms that predict 30-day post-procedural outcomes. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program targeted vascular database was used to identify patients who underwent endovascular aortoiliac revascularization between 2011–2021. Input features included 37 pre-operative demographic/clinical variables. The primary outcome was 30-day post-procedural major adverse limb event (MALE) or death. Data were split into training (70%) and test (30%) sets. Using 10-fold cross-validation, 6 machine learning models were trained using pre-operative features. Overall, 6601 patients were included, and 30-day MALE/death occurred in 470 (7.1%) individuals. The best-performing model was XGBoost, achieving an AUROC (95% CI) of 0.94 (0.93–0.95). In comparison, logistic regression had an AUROC (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.73–0.76). The XGBoost model accurately predicted 30-day post-procedural outcomes, performing better than logistic regression.

Background: Given the recent evolution and achievements in brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies, understanding public perception and sentiments toward such novel technologies is important for guiding their communication strategies in marketing and education. Objective: This study aims to explore the public perception of BCI technology by examining posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) using natural language processing (NLP) methods. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted on BCI-related posts from January 2010 to December 2021. The dataset included 65,340 posts from 38,962 unique users. This dataset was subject to a detailed NLP analysis including VADER, TextBlob, and NRCLex libraries, focusing on quantifying the sentiment (positive, neutral, and negative), the degree of subjectivity, and the range of emotions expressed in the posts. The temporal dynamics of sentiments were examined using the Mann-Kendall trend test to identify significant trends or shifts in public interest over time, based on monthly incidence. We used the Sentiment.ai tool to infer users’ demographics by matching predefined attributes in users’ profile biographies to certain demographic groups. We used the BERTopic tool for semantic understanding of discussions related to BCI. Results: The analysis showed a significant rise in BCI discussions in 2017, coinciding with Elon Musk’s announcement of Neuralink. Sentiment analysis revealed that 59.38% (38,804/65,340) of posts were neutral, 32.75% (21,404/65,340) were positive, and 7.85% (5132/65,340) were negative. The average polarity score demonstrated a generally positive trend over the course of the study (Mann-Kendall Statistic=0.266; τ=0.266; P<.001). Most posts were objective (50,847/65,340, 77.81%), with a smaller proportion being subjective (14,393/65,340, 22.02%). Biographic analysis showed that the “broadcasting” group contributed the most to BCI discussions (17,803/58,030, 30.67%), while the “scientific“ group, contributing 27.58% (n=16,005), had the highest overall engagement metrics. The emotional analysis identified anticipation (score = 10,802/52,618, 20.52%), trust (score=9244/52,618, 17.56%), and fear (score=7344/52,618, 13.95%) as the most prominent emotions in BCI discussions. Key topics included Neuralink and Elon Musk, practical applications of BCIs, and the potential for gamification. Conclusions: This NLP-assisted study provides a decade-long analysis of public perception of BCI technology based on data from X. Overall, sentiments were neutral yet cautiously apprehensive, with anticipation, trust, and fear as the dominant emotions. The presence of fear underscores the need to address ethical concerns, particularly around data privacy, safety, and transparency. Transparent communication and ethical considerations are essential for building public trust and reducing apprehension. Influential figures and positive clinical outcomes, such as advancements in neuroprosthetics, could enhance favorable perceptions. The gamification of BCI, particularly in gaming and entertainment, also offers potential for wider public engagement and adoption. However, public perceptions on X may differ from other platforms, affecting the broader interpretation of results. Despite these limitations, the findings provide valuable insights for guiding future BCI developments, policy making, and communication strategies.

Patients undergoing open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) have a high risk of post-operative complications. However, there are no widely used tools to predict surgical risk in this population. We used machine learning (ML) techniques to develop automated algorithms that predict 30-day outcomes following open AAA repair. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program targeted vascular database was used to identify patients who underwent elective, non-ruptured open AAA repair between 2011 and 2021. Input features included 35 pre-operative demographic/clinical variables. The primary outcome was 30-day major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death). We split our data into training (70%) and test (30%) sets. Using 10-fold cross-validation, 6 ML models were trained using pre-operative features with logistic regression as the baseline comparator. Overall, 3,620 patients were included. Thirty-day MACE occurred in 311 (8.6%) patients. The best performing prediction model was XGBoost, achieving an AUROC (95% CI) of 0.90 (0.89–0.91). Comparatively, logistic regression had an AUROC (95% CI) of 0.66 (0.64–0.68). The calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted and observed event probabilities with a Brier score of 0.03. Our automated ML algorithm can help guide risk-mitigation strategies for patients being considered for open AAA repair to improve outcomes.

Background: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and complex endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) are complex procedures that carry a significant risk of complications. While risk prediction tools can aid in clinical decision making, they remain limited. We developed machine learning algorithms to predict outcomes following TEVAR and complex EVAR. Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was used to identify patients who underwent elective TEVAR and complex EVAR for noninfrarenal aortic aneurysms between 2012 and 2023. We extracted 172 features from the index hospitalization, including 93 preoperative (demographic/clinical), 46 intraoperative (procedural), and 33 postoperative (in‐hospital course/complications) variables. The primary outcome was 1‐year thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm life‐altering event, defined as new permanent dialysis, new permanent paralysis, stroke, or death. The data were split into training (70%) and test (30%) sets. We trained 6 machine learning models using preoperative features with 10‐fold cross‐validation. Model robustness was evaluated using calibration plots and Brier scores. Results: Overall, 10 738 patients underwent TEVAR or complex EVAR, with 1485 (13.8%) experiencing 1‐year thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm life‐altering event. Extreme Gradient Boosting was the best preoperative prediction model, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95–0.97), compared with 0.70 (95% CI, 0.68–0.72) for logistic regression. The Extreme Gradient Boosting model maintained excellent performance at the intra‐ and postoperative stages, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96–0.98) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.97–0.99), respectively. Calibration plots indicated good agreement between predicted/observed event probabilities, with Brier scores of 0.09 (preoperative), 0.08 (intraoperative), and 0.05 (postoperative). Conclusions: Machine learning models can accurately predict 1‐year outcomes following TEVAR and complex EVAR, performing better than logistic regression.

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a relatively new and technically challenging procedure that carries a non-negligible risk of complications. Risk prediction tools may help guide clinical decision-making but remain limited. We developed machine learning (ML) algorithms that predict 1-year outcomes following TCAR. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database was used to identify patients who underwent TCAR between 2016 and 2023. We identified 115 features from the index hospitalization (82 pre-operative [demographic/clinical], 14 intra-operative [procedural], and 19 post-operative [in-hospital course/complications]). The primary outcome was 1-year post-procedural stroke or death. The data was divided into training (70%) and test (30%) sets. Six ML models were trained using pre-operative features with tenfold cross-validation. Overall, 38,325 patients were included (mean age 73.1 [SD 9.0] years, 14,248 [37.2%] female) and 2,672 (7.0%) developed 1-year stroke or death. The best pre-operative prediction model was XGBoost, achieving an AUROC of 0.91 (95% CI 0.90–0.92). In comparison, logistic regression had an AUROC of 0.68 (95% CI 0.66–0.70). The XGBoost model maintained excellent performance at the intra- and post-operative stages, with AUROC’s (95% CI’s) of 0.92 (0.91–0.93) and 0.94 (0.93–0.95), respectively. Our ML algorithm has potential for important utility in guiding peri-operative risk-mitigation strategies to prevent adverse outcomes following TCAR.