C-SATS (Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills) spun out of the University of Washington in 2014 to provide evaluation and training for surgeons, shortly after receiving a $50,000 grant from WRF to help commercialize the technology.
Derek Streat, CEO and co-founder of C-SATS, described WRF’s grant as a “catalyzing moment” in the company’s formation.
The company’s cloud-based system works in one of two ways: C-SATS can record surgical procedures and upload them to its platform for analysis by paid experts, or clinicians can upload their own recordings for the same purpose. All videos comply with patient confidentiality requirements.
The anonymous evaluation of surgical techniques helps to provide objective coaching for surgeons, improving patient safety and outcomes. Detailed feedback is given within a few hours, allowing quick identification of areas for improvement without the unintentional bias that can influence reviews conducted by colleagues. Clinicians being evaluated with the C-SATS technology can earn continuing-education credits without taking time out of the operating room.
Seattle Children’s, UW Medicine and Providence Health & Services are among the many top-level healthcare providers in the U.S. who are benefiting from the C-SATS technology.
WRF Capital was an early investor in the company, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in April 2018. Proceeds enable WRF to make additional investments in local startups and support the Foundation’s grant programs.