An illustrated Joseph L. Smith walking through an Art Deco digital forest

Joseph L. Smith

I design real-world evidence studies, test AI in healthcare workflows, and lead research teams.

Academic CVRecent writing

I design and lead real-world evidence studies. The work starts with the decision, then moves to the question, data, methods, and team needed to answer it.

Areas of workReal-world evidence
Healthcare AI
Research leadership

What I do

Study design, practical AI, and research leadership.

Real-world evidenceDesign defensible RWE studies.I work backward from the decision to define the question, study design, data, and analysis needed to answer it.Healthcare AITest AI in real workflows.I evaluate practical uses of AI in evidence work, with clear validation, review, and accountability requirements.Research leadershipBuild stronger research teams.I develop review practices, team structures, and leaders who can produce rigorous work without relying on one expert.

Recent writing

Essays on study design, real-world evidence, healthcare AI, and leadership.

All writing
Healthcare RWE

Treatment Failure Is an Endpoint, Not a Code

In real-world evidence, treatment failure and non-response are endpoint contracts. The analyst has to define the adequate trial, the failure components, the source of each signal, and the intercurrent events before the data can mean anything.

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Healthcare RWE

Target Trial Emulation, Explained for Operators

Most observational studies fail in the design, not the analysis. Target trial emulation is the protocol habit that prevents it: specify the randomized trial you would run if you could, then emulate every element - eligibility, time zero, strategies, and contrast - explicitly in real-world data.

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Other projects

RWEdnesdays covers real-world evidence methods. JoeSmith.ai covers practical AI tools and experiments.

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Methods and examplesRWEdnesdaysTools and experimentsJoeSmith.ai

Contact

Send a note about RWE study design, healthcare AI, research collaboration, teaching, or leadership.

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