ORDNA: Transforming Surgical Training to Bridge Global Inequities in Surgical Care

ORDNA is a pioneering MedTech startup dedicated to transforming surgical training and improving access to expert education worldwide.

Led by Justin Collins, Consultant Urologist at UCLH, and Nick Clarey, ORDNA joined cohort 6 of the CDI Impact Accelerator programme to develop its surgical training platform, which aims to enhance patient safety and surgical efficiency. 

ORDNA provides reusable, validated video content, automated personalised feedback, and group learning overseen by expert trainers, allowing trainees to observe, understand, replicate, and benchmark their performance against best surgical practices. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, ORDNA strives to make expert surgical training accessible to all, improving patient outcomes and driving performance excellence in the field. 

Through the support of UCL and AWS, ORDNA accelerated its platform’s development and upskilled its team, resulting in a significantly enhanced MVP that harnesses AWS technologies for greater performance, scalability, and user experience. 

The Global Surgical Care Crisis 

An estimated 5 billion people worldwide lack access to surgical care, as reported by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery 2030. This gap is most pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where only 14.9% of the population has access to surgery, compared to 94% in high-income countries (HICs). 

This disparity is driven largely by a critical shortage of trained surgical professionals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified this shortage as the most urgent issue in global healthcare, with its economic impact in LMICs now exceeding that of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined. 

According to Lancet research, an additional 2.2 million surgeons, anaesthetists, and obstetricians are required to address this gap. However, as Justin Collins points out, “Traditional medical training methods are too slow to meet this demand.” Without innovation in surgical education, the failure to address this shortfall could lead to a $12.3 trillion GDP loss, exacerbating global health inequalities. 

ORDNA’s Solution: Scalable and Efficient Surgical Training 

ORDNA addresses this challenge by offering scalable, faster, and more personalised surgical training. By combining sustained deliberate practice with continuous performance monitoring, the platform identifies key areas for improvement for each surgeon, while allowing trainees to view expert-performed procedures using a standardised approach to accelerate learning and skill development. 

ORDNA’s 70/20/10 model ensures that 70% of learning is self-directed through video analysis, 20% is collaborative, and 10% is expert-guided feedback. This blended approach maximises learning time and helps trainees improve their skills faster, while experts provide targeted guidance through automated systems. 

The platform also offers a unique model for global surgical communities by providing free content for those unable to afford costly courses, and affordable options for those who can. This model creates new opportunities for collaboration with societies and industry sponsorship, benefiting all stakeholders involved. 

Accelerating Growth with the CDI Impact Accelerator 

The CDI Impact Accelerator played a key role in advancing ORDNA’s technical and business development, driving significant improvements across both areas. 

Technical Acceleration: 

ORDNA initially faced challenges with user experience, particularly in video processing and platform accessibility. As the team explained, “We had a number of user experience issues due to our limited use of AWS technology.” With guidance from CDI, ORDNA was able to leverage AWS tools like MediaConvert, Amazon Rekognition, Amazon Transcribe, and CloudFront, resolving performance issues, particularly with video uploads and playback for international users. 

The Impact Accelerator also exposed ORDNA to advanced technologies, expanding their technical expertise. As the team shared, “The opportunity to attend various workshops and courses through CDI introduced us to technologies we weren’t familiar with and likely wouldn’t have explored otherwise, such as the AWS Cloud Development Kit and Amazon SageMaker.” 

CDI’s support enabled ORDNA to experiment with innovative features, including automated transcription for medical terminology and facial recognition for compliance checks. These innovations, combined with upskilling, not only enhanced ORDNA’s platform but also set the stage for future growth and technological advancements. 

Business Acceleration: 

On the business side, the Accelerator helped ORDNA refine its revenue model, which is grounded in the attention economy—capturing and monetising the focus of engaged surgical trainees. With CDI's insights, ORDNA optimised its strategy to compete effectively in the MedTech space. 

With CDI's support, ORDNA has established a strong foundation for sustainable growth, positioning itself for success in the global healthcare sector. 

The Path Ahead 

ORDNA is on a mission to become the leading platform for video-based surgical skills training, continuously evolving to transform surgical education. To scale its impact and solidify its position as a global leader, ORDNA’s next phase will focus on enhancing its capabilities and refining its platform. 

Through ongoing innovation, ORDNA is setting the stage for the next generation of surgical education—empowering surgeons to refine their skills, optimise patient care, and shape the future of global surgical excellence.