CU Anschutz at AMIA 2025

This November, the global informatics community will converge in Atlanta for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Annual Symposium, an event dedicated to the science and practice of biomedical and health informatics. From Nov. 15—19, more than 2,500 individuals, including clinicians, researchers, data scientists and students, will gather to explore how informatics is modernizing healthcare across research, clinical and public health systems.

With over 600 presentations, cutting-edge exhibitions and a theme focused on “Modernizing Informatics Across the Spectrum,” AMIA 2025 offers a dynamic platform for advancing public health data systems, AI-driven population health strategies and clinical innovation.

The University of Colorado Anschutz (CU Anschutz) Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) will be prominently represented, showcasing its leadership in computational modeling, AI in health and interdisciplinary research. Notably, David Albers, PhD, associate professor at DBMI, will be inducted into the prestigious American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) during the symposium, recognizing his groundbreaking work.

Discover more about Albers’ impactful work and his ACMI honor in our post-announcement feature.

DBMI’s presence at AMIA 2025 reflects its commitment to transforming data into actionable insights, from bedside decision support to population-level genomics. As a hub for innovation, DBMI continues to shape the future of informatics through collaborative research, strategic partnerships and a deep dedication to improving human health.

Whether you’re attending to learn, connect or lead, AMIA 2025 is more than a conference—it’s a catalyst for change. And DBMI is proud to be part of that transformation.

Eye Tracking Meets AI for Safer EHR Use

Mustafa Ozkaynak, PhD, associate professor of nursing, will present groundbreaking research that utilizes eye tracking to objectively measure cognitive workload during the use of electronic health records (EHRs). This approach offers a new lens into clinician experience, providing data that could inform AI-driven personalization of EHR systems, streamline common tasks, reduce cognitive load and even suggest automated entries.

The inspiration for this work stems from a recent study on occupational fatigue in emergency departments, which revealed critical links between clinician wellness and patient safety. Ozkaynak explained, “Fatigue is a latent hazard in healthcare. It impairs clinical judgment, increases safety risks and contributes to burnout.” His research aims to tackle this challenge head-on by leveraging informatics to make workflows more efficient and sustainable.

The key takeaway? Eye tracking is not just a research tool—it’s a practical, scalable method to understand and improve clinician workload. By integrating these insights into AI-powered EHR design, healthcare systems can develop more intelligent interfaces and effective training strategies, ultimately improving patient care.

Ozkaynak is eager to connect with collaborators who share his passion for eye tracking and workload studies and he’s particularly interested in sessions on clinical decision support, AI and genomics. “I hope to learn how these technologies are transforming care and find ways to integrate them into our work,” he said.

Regulating AI for Safer Nursing Practice

Christina Baker, PhD, NCSN, RN-BC, assistant professor of clinical teacher-nursing, will take the stage for a debate on nurses’ liability in AI-driven clinical decisions, a topic at the intersection of technology, ethics and patient safety. Her session, “To Err Is AI: Who Bears the Blame for AI-Driven Clinical Decisions?” addresses a critical gap: the lack of clear regulation for AI in healthcare practice.

As a member of AMIA’s Nursing Informatics Policy Working Group, Baker has been deeply involved in shaping conversations around AI governance. She recently co-authored an article on AI regulation in nursing practice, highlighting the urgent need for policy frameworks and clinician training before integrating AI into care. “Patient safety is paramount,” she emphasized. “We need regulation and a human in the loop when using AI in healthcare.”

Her key message? AI cannot replace clinical judgment and without proper oversight, it introduces new risks. Baker is excited to connect with colleagues and explore sessions focused on AI policy and health information exchange, aiming to advance safe, ethical integration of AI into practice and academia.

Human-Centered Digital Health for Caregivers

Dawon Baik, PhD, assistant professor of nursing, will share a poster presentation that highlights findings from a two-phase field test of TPA4You, a digital health program designed to support older family caregivers of persons with heart failure. The study compared automated motivational messages with human-delivered messages to boost physical activity among caregivers, a group often overlooked in healthcare innovation.

Phase 1 revealed that automated messages felt formulaic and lacked motivational impact. In Phase 2, personalized messages from a health coach significantly improved engagement. “Personalized, human-delivered messages were more effective than automated ones,” Baik explained. “Tailoring content and delivery to the caregiver’s context is essential.”

This research underscores a key principle in health informatics: technology must be human-centered to succeed. By refining digital interventions for caregivers, Baik’s work aims to improve caregiver health, reduce patient rehospitalization and inform future AI-assisted solutions that maintain personalization while reducing workload for health coaches.

Improving Health Outcomes Via Infographics in a SMART on FHIR App

Samantha Stonbraker, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FAMIA, associate professor of nursing, will share results from a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the impact of evidence-based infographics delivered through a SMART on FHIR mobile application. Yanjun Gao, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical informatics, co-authored this paper alongside Stonbraker. This innovative intervention was designed to improve clinical communication and health outcomes among Latino patients with HIV in Denver, Colorado and La Romana, Dominican Republic. The project was selected for Symposium On Demand recording, underscoring its significance in advancing informatics-based solutions for health equity.

The inspiration for this work came from observing Spanish-speaking patients struggle to understand complex health information during clinical encounters. “I wanted to create an intervention that bridges cultural and language gaps, making critical health information accessible and actionable,” Stonbraker explained. By embedding infographics into a mobile app, the team aimed to overcome communication barriers and empower patients with tools for effective self-management.

Why does this matter? Effective communication is foundational to better health outcomes, yet disparities persist due to language and literacy challenges. This project demonstrates how thoughtful, evidence-based informatics interventions can transform care delivery, especially for vulnerable populations. The key takeaway: Targeted, culturally informed communication strategies are essential for improving patient engagement and outcomes—and technology can make them scalable.

Looking ahead, the Stonbraker hopes this work will inspire others to leverage informatics for health equity. “With careful planning and persistence, we can design interventions that address complex health problems and improve lives,” she noted. Beyond presenting, she’s excited to reconnect with collaborators, share insights in a workshop on inclusive language in informatics research and explore new approaches to integrating technology into patient-centered care.

Stonbraker was accepted as a Fellow in AMIA and is the new Chair-Elect on the Nursing Informatics Working Group (NIWG).

Full Schedule of DBMI Participants at AMIA 2025

Date & Time	Location	Presenter	Session/Poster Title
Saturday, Nov. 15
1:00 – 4:40 p.m.	A702	Samantha Stonbraker, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FAMIA	W20: Supporting Inclusive Language for Informatics Research in an era of Regulatory and Institutional Challenges
Sunday, Nov. 16
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.	A707	Mustafa Ozkaynak, PhD	W31: Implementation Science and Systems Thinking to Understand HIT Induced Burden and Burnout
Monday, Nov. 17
2:00 – 3:15 p.m.	A708	Mustafa Ozkaynak, PhD	S42: Human Factors Considerations for Implementing Clinical Decision Support Systems in the Emergency Department
3:30 – 4:45 p.m.	M105	Christina Baker, PhD, RN, NCSN, NI-BC	To Err Is AI: Who Bears the Blame for AI-Driven Clinical Decisions?
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.	International Ballroom (Posters)	Samantha Stonbraker, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FAMIA	P84: Infographics to Augment Clinical HIV-related Communication Increase Health Knowledge among Latinos with Low Health Literacy. Co-author: Yanjun Gao, PhD
Tuesday, Nov. 18
8:00 – 8:12 a.m.	Atrium Ballroom B	Samantha Stonbraker, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FAMIA	Infographics Administered Through a SMART on FHIR App Lead to Improvements in Health Outcomes: Results of a Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial. Co-author: Yanjun Gao, PhD
4:06 – 4:18 p.m.	M102	Melike Sirlanci, PhD	A Novel Multicomponent Cost Function for Estimating Digital Twins: Estimating Oscillatory Blood Glucose Dynamics with Sparse Data
5:00– 6:30 p.m.	International Ballroom (Posters)	Dawon Baik, PhD	P05: Motivational Messaging in a 1-week Trial of Digital Health Program for Older Family Care Partners of Persons with Heart Failur
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.	International Ballroom (Posters)	Maya Kruse, MS	P54: Evaluating Large Language Models for Summarizing Long Clinical Texts and Longitudinal Patient Trajectories. Co-author: Yanjun Gao
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.	International Ballroom (Posters)	Mustafa Ozkaynak, PhD	P75: Eye Tracking to Measure Cognitive Workload During EHR Use