The Canadian federal government is building on recent efforts to modernize the management of personal health information by introducing the Connected Care for Canadians Act, Bill C-72. The still-growing problem of inefficient communication among healthcare providers cannot be the sole solution to the challenges the healthcare system in Canada is facing; this is, however indicative of what the role of technology, private sector innovations included, may contribute to the resolution of the problems.
This is particularly important now, says Gevorg Nazarian, CTO and co-founder, Docus- an AI-driven health platform. “Health-tech startups are crucial at this time because they could address gaps in the health system faster than traditional players,” he further added. “Startups can deploy accessible care models, improve patient triage, and improve remote care.” Our platform has streamlined the entire process at a rural clinic and therefore is allowing them to see more patients without reducing standards of care,” Nazarian notes. AI is transformative technology in healthcare, he adds.
John Russo, vice president of healthcare solutions at software firm OSP, advocates this view. He points to how AI-driven diagnostic and workflow automation enabled by the company allows healthcare providers to spend more of their time on patients and less on paperwork. This telehealth platform for rural communities fits perfectly into this category, connecting the patient with the specialist via AI-derived triage, thus greatly improving access and outcomes.
PocketHealth and other similar startups work toward creation of solutions peculiar to the Canadian market. In this regard, co-founder Rishi Nayyar espouses that there is a need for health-tech technology adapted to this unique healthcare delivery model in Canada. PocketHealth enables patients to view their medical history on line, thereby making repeat scans redundant and ensuring more people follow up on their care, most especially in remote communities.
Another example is ODAIA Intelligence Inc., founded by academics from the University of Toronto, to apply AI and machine learning for optimizing pharmaceutical marketing to physicians. Co-founder Philip Poulidis puts out that faster efficiency of getting treatments to patients can remarkably improve health outcomes and reduce time and budget better.
All these innovators emphasize the need for a patient-centric approach toward developing health technology. “Always think patient-first and work backwards from there,” Nayyar advises, adding that solutions that really benefit patients will find success at scale.
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