The Challenge
As a PA student at UAB, Piper Latham faced a common problem for students learning X-ray interpretation: a lack of practical, accessible study resources. Standard clinical education tools were limited to printed materials or multiple-choice quizzes, leaving students to piece together skills by reviewing X-rays during real-world clinical practice—a high-pressure environment with limited time for detailed guidance.
Piper approached her professor to determine where she could go for practice. In class, they were relying solely on printed-out X-rays. In a clinical setting, X-rays are read online, which was already a challenge. When she approached her professor, he had no resources to offer but mentioned he had always wanted to create a resource.
This sparked the idea for CLEO Edu. Piper went home that night and made a note of what she wanted it to look like. She then devised a rough plan of action detailing what she wanted the resource to look like and accomplish for students like herself.
After writing out the idea, she connected with Wes Queen, the founder of Ship Ogre, another client of ConcertIDC. He recommended she work with us to develop her prototype. When Piper connected with us, it was just an idea because it was helpful to her as a student. She was figuring out what steps to take to make her idea a reality.
Fun Fact
CLEO is named after Piper's roommate, Chloe. She is also in PA school and has supported Piper throughout her journey to founding this app.
Piper Latham, Founder and CEO of CLEO Edu
The Solution
Driven to create a robust and accessible tool for X-ray practice, Piper envisioned a digital platform allowing students to interact with X-rays, annotate findings, and compare their findings to those provided by a radiologist. By partnering with ConcertIDC, she was able to bring this vision to life, turning a sketch into a clickable, non-functioning web app prototype that demonstrated both user flow and the essential functionality that set CLEO apart: a structured, step-by-step breakdown of X-rays that students could use to practice independently.
Process:
- Initial Concept and Prototype: Recognizing that the best study tools were digital, Piper envisioned CLEO as an app but initially explored options with ConcertIDC, where she learned a web app would be a more efficient starting point. ConcertIDC launched the project focusing on building a clickable prototype that wasn’t simply static screenshots but a realistic, interactive representation of the app’s planned functionality. This clickable prototype allowed Piper to present a coherent vision of CLEO to stakeholders and potential investors, showcasing the platform’s sleek design, its ABCDE methodology (airway, bones, cardiac, etc.), and the intuitive flow from X-ray selection to annotation and feedback.
- Efficient Collaboration and Design: ConcertIDC’s team worked seamlessly with Piper’s demanding PA school schedule. Despite different time zones, the collaboration was streamlined and highly efficient, with the ConcertIDC team making design choices that aligned with the founder’s goals without requiring constant oversight. Our team could accomplish a lot in a short period. And, if things needed to be discussed between then, we collaborated via email.
Product Description
While it is still a prototype, once it is an MVP, CLEO will offer advanced features tailored for future healthcare providers and healthcare educators to enhance diagnostic accuracy and confidence in their clinical skills. With a focus on accessibility, ease of use, and hands-on learning, CLEO will bring essential radiology skills within reach, ensuring students have a comprehensive practice platform.
Each feature is crafted to strengthen diagnostic capabilities by allowing students to interpret and annotate X-rays, review radiologist-provided reports, and engage with a structured, systematic breakdown of each image. This step-by-step guidance ensures students can approach X-rays with a holistic understanding, reinforcing skills essential for clinical success.
Key features include:
X-Ray Annotation and Comparison: CLEO allows students to annotate real X-rays, fostering practical interpretation skills. Students can compare their findings with detailed annotations and insights from radiologists, offering a reliable, direct pathway to learning diagnostic nuances.
Radiology Report Access: For each X-ray, CLEO supplies a radiology report crafted by professionals, delivering authentic, real-world information. This reinforces accuracy in reading X-rays and familiarizes students with the kinds of reports they will encounter in practice.
Systematic Image Breakdown: CLEO offers a systematic analysis of each X-ray following the structured “ABCDE” method—airway, bones, cardiac, diaphragm, and everything else. This feature instills a disciplined, comprehensive approach to reviewing images, preparing students to identify critical information without missing key details.
Extensive Image Bank: CLEO provides diverse learning scenarios covering normal examples to complex pathologies with a vast library of case images. This extensive bank allows students to practice repeatedly, increasing their familiarity and accuracy in various diagnostic cases.
By integrating these features into a single, cohesive platform, CLEO will empower students to develop the essential skills they need in a safe, supportive environment. This will bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application in a low-stakes environment.
Testimonial
“ConcertIDC has gone above and beyond. I’ve never felt like just a client or that this was just a project for them. They believed in CLEO’s mission as much as I did and were committed to seeing it succeed—not just for profit, but because they genuinely believed in the vision. Their support has been invaluable to me and CLEO.”
Piper Latham, Founder and CEO of CLEO Edu
The Results
With the prototype finalized, Piper successfully used CLEO's design and functionality to demonstrate the app's potential to investors and users. The prototype offered a unique way to visualize student interaction with the platform, including annotation features and comparative feedback to a radiologist's report, laying a solid foundation for CLEO's planned MVP (Minimum Viable Product) phase.
In August this year, Piper competed with CLEO Edu in 2024's Alabama Launchpad Cycle 2 in the concept stage. Although she did not win, this opportunity allowed her to refine her pitching skills, connect with other founders, and gain some experience. She is competing in 2024's Alabama Launchpad Cycle 3 later this year again.
Piper hopes to start developing her MVP later this year, and ConcertIDC is thrilled to be her development partner.
Background
Client: Piper Latham
Industry: Healthcare Education