AI-powered app finds latest information about COVID-19

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sicken and kill people around the world, questions continue to arise about the characteristics of the virus. For example, how do we avoid infection, and what are the best practices for caring for those who have contracted the disease. A new app, COVID AI KnowledgeEnable™, uses artificial intelligence to rapidly find the latest peer-reviewed articles that answer the questions of physicians, researchers and members of the public.

To be sure, there is much to learn about the novel coronavirus. “There are hundreds of new scientific findings in every medical discipline, published every day,” said Ian Maynard, CEO and co-founder of Real Time Medical Inc., the developer of the app. “During this pandemic, you can multiply that by a factor of 10.”

Real Time Medical’s app makes triaging this information possible using AI and the collective insight of experienced medical professionals around the world.

COVID AIKnowledgeEnable is a clinical decision support app and information location tool that allows users to engage in research and education by helping them to locate trustworthy medical articles and other resources where such content is already available on the internet. Significantly, the app includes ratings of articles and commentary from healthcare professionals to assist users in determining which sources will be most helpful to them.

With the support of the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program, Real Time Medical has been working on the underlying technology of AIKnowledgeEnable for almost two years. When COVID came along, the company decided to apply that technology to the information clutter created by COVID.

“The app is specifically designed for both healthcare professionals and the public to help them make better informed decisions for their patients, their families and themselves,” said Dr. David Koff, chairman and co-founder of Real Time Medical. “Only trusted, peer reviewed data sources are used.”

Dr. Koff explained that users benefit from seeing information directly from the original source. They also gain insights from comments or recommendations that doctors and researchers may have about a particular finding.”

“With a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in multiple jurisdictions in North America and around the world, and the advent of a new school year, people need a way to zero-in on the most valid scientific data and advice required to keep their families and patients safe – and to cut confidently through the clutter of misinformation,” said Dr. Koff.

Clinicians and the public will also be able to use an updated version of COVID AIKnowledgeEnable to research the latest data on any medical symptom or ailment they choose – not just COVID-19.

RTM’s COVID AIKnowledgeEnable combines AI-enabled search of multiple, trusted, peer-reviewed medical data sources with the collective intelligence of direct physician input to deliver the most relevant and current findings.

Overlaid with the latest federal health guidelines, COVID AIKnowledgeEnable is an effective weapon in the global fight against COVID-19, arming healthcare professionals and the public alike with the information they need to make the right decisions from trusted medical data sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, and others.

“Amid the race for a viable vaccine, it is our hope that COVID AIKnowledgeEnable will provide users with an effective tool in managing the pandemic and getting on with our lives,” said Maynard. “Controlling the virus will be the key to re-igniting the global economy, while more effective information access and exchange helps medical professionals, policy-makers and the public to make better informed decisions with the most up-to-date and relevant data in one integrated platform.

Clinicians and the public can access the app via a small monthly subscription fee of US$1.99 a month for the standard version and US$2.99 a month for the medical professional version. A 14-day free trial is also available for all users. The web version is available now at https://app.aiknowledgeenable.com. It will be available on Google Play and Apple stores on October 15.