Ontario Improving Patient Care Through Innovative Health Technologies
Released by: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
April 3, 2017 12:50 P.M.
Ontario has committed to funding 15 innovative health technologies via grants from the new Health Technologies Fund (HTF). The grants support the development of software and mobile devices that focus on the delivery of better home and community care. These projects will undergo assessment and evaluation over the next 18 to 24 months to facilitate their success for adoption and scalability in Ontario’s innovative health care system.
In 2016-17, $5.4 million will be distributed to 15 projects. The projects are:
1) Intelligent Scheduling to Reduce MRI and CT Wait Times
A patient-friendly scheduling platform that connects patients and doctors with hospitals to improve patient access to appointments for high-demand medical procedures
- Health Innovation Team: Southlake Regional Health Centre, Michael Garron Hospital, Markham Stouffville Hospital, University of Toronto, NextUp Care
- Grant amount: $100,000
2) iUGO: Improving Diabetes Care Through Real-Time Monitoring
Diabetes needs to be closely monitored and that can be a challenge for people living in remote areas of Ontario. iUGO connects patients with their health care team in real-time, allowing them to get care in their own homes.
- Health Innovation Team: Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre, Reliq Health
- Grant amount: $100,000
3) Connecting Patients and Caregivers with a Mobile Platform
This innovative mobile platform seamlessly connects patients with caregivers. Patients and family members are able to find caregivers as simply as point-click-connect, creating a patient-centred care environment. Bookings, ongoing care, best practice guidelines, training and at-home remote monitoring are managed through the platform.
- Health Innovation Team: Brain Injury Services/Step Up! ABI Recovery, Waterloo Wellington LHIN, Health Quality Ontario, Wilfrid Laurier University, Alaunus
- Grant amount: $100,000
4) Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Through Speech Analysis
A tablet-based speech assessment tool that detects and monitors cognitive impairment, reliably identifying Alzheimer’s’ disease, aphasia and Parkinson’s disease. In residential care, the tool can help determine when to transition to a higher level of care.
- Health Innovation Team: WinterLight Labs, Revera Inc., Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
- Grant amount: $94,836
5) SMArTVIEW: Monitoring and Self-Management for Patients Following Cardiac and Vascular Surgery
Specifically designed software to help patients who have just undergone serious cardiac and vascular surgery to receive continuous vital sign monitoring in the hospital and at home. The technology aims to prevent serious complications post-surgery, including infections and blood clots, and reduce post-surgical emergency room visits and readmissions to hospital.
- Health Innovation Team: Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation through its Population Health Research Institute, Philips Healthcare, QoC Health, ThoughtWire Corp., CLOUD DX, XAHIVE Inc.,
- Grant amount: $499,313
6) A Telepathology Network to Improve Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
This software eliminates the need for patient travel while helping pathologists do their job faster and more accurately. Pathcore’s technology takes glass slides and converts them into digital slides that can then be viewed, shared and analyzed anywhere using computer networks.
- Health Innovation Team: Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association, Pathcore Inc.
- Grant amount: $197,760
7) MyTeam: Software to Connect Patients, Caregivers and Doctors
A health self-management application to facilitate collaborative development, monitoring, communication and improvement of individualized patient care plans. It will allow patients and providers to develop intuitive care plans that can be followed in the home and assessed by their physician during consultation.
- Health Innovation Team: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Think Research, University of Toronto
- Grant amount: $499,500
8) MindMerge: A Patient Portal for Breast Cancer Survivorship
A new model proposed by Cancer Care Ontario is seeing follow-up care move from specialists to family physicians, which is more convenient for patients and less costly for the health system. This software connects patients with family physicians to bring care closer to home. Patients automatically get information about upcoming tests, appointments and treatment recommendations and family doctors can consult with specialists on care questions.
- Health Innovation Team: North York General Hospital, Verto Inc., North York Family Health Team
- Grant amount: $500,000
9) A New Platform to Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients Get Coordinated Treatment at Home
Rather than returning to the hospital when they need assistance, which can be inconvenient for patients, they will have access to health care providers and community services through a web and mobile video-based platform.
- Health Innovation Team: Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, ForaHealthyMe Inc., University Health Network Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Centre for Family Medicine – Family Health Team
- Grant amount: $424,638
10) Remote Pharmacy Coordination for Seniors
A communication and documentation tool to ensure the accuracy of medications when vulnerable patients transition from hospital to long-term care. The system promotes efficient collaboration among pharmacist, physician and nurse to prevent medication errors.
- Health Innovation Team: peopleCare Inc., Hogan Pharmacy Partners Ltd., PointClickCare, University of Windsor – World Health Innovation Network, McMaster University, Northwest Pharmacy
- Grant amount: $476,348
11) aTouchAway: Tablet App to Connect Patients with Caregivers
The app offers in-home video conferencing to improve the client experience. Using the app, patients can make or receive calls to their caregivers, signal emergencies, view their appointments and check on their medications. Benefits include increased flexibility and capacity of care coordinators to address client needs with diverse care teams.
- Health Innovation Team: Arnprior Regional Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd., Aetonix Systems Inc., Samsung Canada, Winchester District Memorial Hospital, Priority Business Services Inc., Women’s College Hospital, Champlain LHIN
- Grant amount: $500,000
12) Improving Mental Health by Connecting Police and Community Services
Software to facilitate assessment, risk appraisal and case management of individuals with serious mental disorders. It will provide patients with access to existing community services, police officers, primary care givers and community support workers to prevent inappropriate hospitalization and deliver the right care for an individual in crisis.
- Health Innovation Team: St. Leonard’s Community Services, Brantford Police Service, HealthIM, Nipissing University, Brantford General Hospital
- Grant amount: $498,000
13) Software to Provide Self-care Tools to Youth with Mental Health Challenges
This software will support education, collaboration, engagement, intervention and goal-focused coaching for young adults with mental health challenges. The technology will be accessible via an app or desktop computer.
- Health Innovation Team: Reconnect Community Health Services, Stella’s Place, NexJ Health Inc., Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute Inc., St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
- Grant amount: $500,000
14) Developing a Screening Strategy to Reduce Falls in Seniors
Falls are responsible for 85 per cent of seniors’ injury-related hospitalizations. An expanded screening and focused identification strategy will be examined for the potential to reduce the incidence of falls and the associated ER visits, hospitalizations and costs to the system. Proactively identifying seniors at risk of falls across a community provides evidence to support intervention planning and targeted falls prevention programs.
- Health Innovation Team: GE Healthcare Canada, Champlain LHIN, University of Windsor – World Health Innovation Network, The Ottawa Hospital
- Grant amount: $500,000
15) Remote Patient Monitoring to Better Manage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
This innovative software measures a patient’s vital signs including blood pressure and oxygen saturation and automatically notifies a health care provider when readings change. The kit includes a custom Android tablet computer with a secure two-way video connection between patient and clinician. The equipment provides patients with remote access to rehab programs to better self-manage their condition at home.
- Health Innovation Team: Closing the Gap Healthcare, CLOUD DX, Women’s College Research Institute, Markham Stouffville Hospital
- Grant amount: $409,605
