Print Edition

RACE streamlines patient journey

By Miranda Defer

November 1, 2022

The RACEApp+, which was created in 2015, underwent significant updates in 2022. Managed provincially by Providence Health Care, and with more than 85,000 calls to date, RACE streamlines the patient journey through improved communication between family doctors, nurse practitioners and specialists. Committed to keeping up with the telephone advice needs of primary care providers, RACE will continue to add specialty services based on feedback from primary care. Read More

BC announces plan to strengthen healthcare HR

November 1, 2022

Nov2022-cover-image

VICTORIA – British Columbia has announced a wide-ranging program of investments in the healthcare sector’s human resources. The strategy aims to address shortages of professionals by ramping up training and education, as well as through the expansion of technologies and services. Read More

Healthcare supply chain needs a re-think, observers say

By Jerry Zeidenberg

November 1, 2022

Product shortages and disruptions during the COVID pandemic have highlighted the dire need for Canada’s healthcare system to collaborate more effectively when it comes to procurement and the supply chain. What’s required is a task force consisting of private-sector suppliers, hospitals and other providers, and governments to share information and smooth the flow of shipments when supply disruptions occur. Read More

EDI spots pricing anomalies in Ontario’s healthcare supply chain

By Tim Wilson

November 1, 2022

As orders for medical equipment flow through Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems, giving a view of the purchasing patterns of hospitals across the country, it’s become apparent that different facilities are paying a wide range of prices for the same goods. Those disparities are especially noticeable in Ontario. Read More

AI centres of excellence and companies collaborate on apps

By Norm Tollinsky

November 1, 2022

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing an increasingly important role in virtually every sector of the economy, including healthcare. AI algorithms and machine learning models are now used to optimize resource scheduling, flag abnormal chest X-rays and predict the deterioration of patients in intensive care units. Read More

PatientTrak now available in Nova Scotia

By Lauren MacDougall

November 1, 2022

HALIFAX – It is now faster and easier for physicians and other authorized care team members to access the latest patient census and health data at emergency departments across Nova Scotia. Read More

AI spreads across hospitals, becomes an enterprise-wide solution

By Dianne Daniel

November 1, 2022

Once relegated to fragmented, one-off solutions, artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is now coming of age as an enterprise-wide strategy. All it took was a global pandemic to highlight the strategic role machine learning and algorithms can play in helping to reduce costs, optimize staffing and scheduling, improve bed management and provide enhanced care. Read More

Promoting a culture of transparency is the key to a trustworthy AI

By Allie DeLonay

November 1, 2022

Recently, I spoke at the 22nd Annual Healthcare Summit in Vancouver, where we explored the importance of promoting a culture of transparency and explainability in healthcare AI. According to research from the Brookings Institute, medicine trails every industry but construction in demand for AI-literate employees, and if providers don’t know what factors contributed to an AI’s decision, providers will be more reluctant to utilize the AI to aid in decision making. We need to promote a culture of transparency and explainability in healthcare AI otherwise the promise of new, innovative technologies like these will not be realized. Read More

Startup developing mixed-reality platform for surgeons

By Diane Lynn Weidner

September 29, 2022

Holo-Ray co-founders

MONTREAL – An interdisciplinary startup at McGill University is leveraging their combined expertise to develop Holo-Ray, an integrated, cloud-based platform that will allow surgeons to quickly generate 3D holographic anatomical models from a patient’s diagnostic imaging scans. Read More