Maulik Majmudar, MD, a cardiologist and associate director of the healthcare transformation lab at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, tweeted his acceptance of a new role with tech giant Amazon Aug. 20.
In an interview with STAT News Aug. 20, Dr. Majmudar shared what led him to take on the role and the importance of galvanizing physicians to incorporate new technologies into their practices.
Here are four things to know about Dr. Majmudar:
1. The cardiologist told STAT he accepted the role at Amazon because it offered him the chance to drive uptake of technological solutions at healthcare facilities worldwide.
"The thing that truly attracted me was the opportunity to work with really meaningful products and services at the scale and scope Amazon has" worldwide, he told STAT. "There is an incredible amount of opportunity to bring into practice existing technology and digital tools that actually improve the experience and health and wellness of patients."
2. Dr. Majmudar was instrumental in the development of several tech products used at Massachusetts General Hospital. While working as a physician at the hospital, he helped create the Ether Dome Challenge, which generated a wide array of inventions, including text-message-based notification for patient appointments, videos on atrial fibrillation and virtual tours of MRIs to help patients understand the technology.
3. The use of technology to upend traditional medical practices and business models served as the basis for an op-ed for Fortune Dr. Majmudar co-authored with a colleague from MGH. The article discussed the power of Apple's research kit in changing clinical practice.
4. While he remains hopeful about the further incorporation of technology into medicine, his efforts have not been without hardship. Dr. Majmudar served as the founder and chief clinical officer of Quanttus, a medical wearables startup. The company struggled with delays and technical challenges in developing a wearable device to monitor blood pressure. Quanttus eventually released an iPhone app to track blood pressure measurements, but the technology largely fell short of experts' expectations.
To access Dr. Majmudar's full interview with STAT, click here.