[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Doc on demand: Healthcare goes digital” subhead=”Even with robotic doctors and telemedicine apps in place, is Canada keeping up with virtual care?” header_fullscreen=”on” _builder_version=”3.21″ title_level=”h6″ title_font=”|700|||||||” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”47px” content_font=”||||||||” content_font_size=”15px” subhead_font=”||||||||” subhead_text_align=”left” subhead_font_size=”20px” subhead_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ background_image=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Picture1.png” parallax=”on” background_layout=”light” text_shadow_style=”preset1″]<\/p>\n
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By Marissa Kocent<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”27px|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]It\u2019s called Vitaliti, and it\u2019s a device inspired by the medical tricorder used by Dr. Leonard McCoy to diagnose disease instantly in the futuristic space franchise Star Trek.<\/p>\n The device, which will be released next year, wraps around a person\u2019s neck and shoulders, and makes direct contact with the skin. A sensor that sits in the wearer\u2019s ear like a headphone connects with a wire to the device. It is meant to be worn almost anywhere, whether the owner is relaxing at home or out playing sports.<\/p>\n “Vitaliti is designed to continuously monitor your vital signs at a very accurate clinical hospital grade level,\u201d said Robert Kaul, the CEO and founder of Cloud DX, a Canadian start-up that aims to warp the country towards a new frontier of digital healthcare.<\/p>\n The idea is to treat patients based \u201con their symptoms, not on their schedule,\u201d Kaul said. For example, Vitaliti records the electrical activity of a patient\u2019s heart, and flags any vital sign abnormalities. It will be a complementary device to another Cloud DX product already on the market: a telemedicine kit that virtually connects patients with a doctor on-demand, catering to a growing demand for consultations from home.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_1750.jpg” _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kaul hopes Vitaliti and the telemedicine kit will be\u00a0 widely adopted by people with chronic health conditions and those recovering from surgery because they \u201cdon’t have to schlep all the way to the doctor if they don\u2019t need to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if you’re perfectly healthy, you might monitor your blood glucose just to see how your body metabolizes food,\u201d Kaul explained, highlighting the benefit of having a doctor available at your leisure to discuss results. \u201cIf you have spikes in your glucose at certain times of day or two glucose crashes at other times, maybe you can adjust your diet so you don’t need six cups of coffee to wake up in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n As more and more of the world goes online, healthcare is no exception. Fueled by the widespread adoption of smartphones and powerful internet connections, telemedicine and virtual care innovations\u2014such as Cloud DX\u2019s products\u2014are helping to reinvent how healthcare is delivered to patients.<\/p>\n In Canada, where doctor shortages, overcrowded hospitals and long wait times impede access to healthcare, federal and provincial agencies are turning to technology for solutions. But even as virtual care technologies become increasingly available in Canada, some health professionals worry that the country is still playing digital catch-up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″ header_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#d37400″]<\/p>\n There’s all these terms for things telehealth: telemedicine, telehomecare,\u00a0virtual care,\u201d said Karen Schmidt, the communications director of Canada Health Infoway, an organization accelerating the adoption of digital health solutions across the country.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, it\u2019s seeing somebody from a distance and having your concerns looked after,\u201d she said, though there are slight distinctions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s very beneficial for people who don’t have time to fit in waiting rooms and travel\u2026 [and] anything else that’s associated with taking time off work,\u201d Schmidt explained.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Consider the eCare program, implemented by the Ontario Telemedicine Network, a not-for-profit funded by the province. It allows Ontarians with chronic lung and heart conditions\u2014the majority of which are seniors–to be monitored and coached from home, cutting down on trivial trips to the doctor.<\/p>\n In Saskatchewan, a robot named Rosie treats patients in a remote First Nations community. A physician from elsewhere in Canada controls Rosie using a smartphone and can use video to connect with patients. Rosie can use a stethoscope, conduct ultrasounds and take electrocardiograms.<\/p>\n For Canadians who would do anything to avoid sitting in a waiting room full of sick people, there are downloadable apps that let you text, call or videocall a doctor instantly.<\/p>\n One of these apps is Maple, which according to its website, boasts it can connect patients with a doctor in two minutes or less. Nova Scotia resident Julia Melly downloaded Maple after seeing it advertised on Facebook and had a doctor diagnose her with a bacterial sinus infection over text.<\/p>\n For Melly, there were both pros and cons to using the app. Maple requires users to pay per visit and it\u2019s not covered by health insurance. But there are some advantages to the online encounter: \u201cYou can see the whole text transcript,\u201d in case you forget some aspect of the medical advice, said Melly, who does not have a family doctor, like approximately 4.8 million other Canadians, according to Statistics Canada. Maple doctors fill out prescriptions and hand out doctors\u2019 notes, just like at a regular clinic. <\/p>\n \u201cMy prescriptions were sent right away to my pharmacy,\u201d added Melly, relieved. <\/p>\n \u201cI never really thought that I would talk to a doctor online.\u201d[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_cta title=”What is telemedicine? Here are some common terms.” _builder_version=”3.21″ header_font=”||||||||” body_font=”||||||||” use_background_color=”off” text_orientation=”left” background_layout=”light”]Telehealth: <\/strong><\/span>Umbrella term for the delivery of\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 healthcare remotely via telecommunication tech.<\/p>\n It can refer to everything from clinical services to two doctors discussing a patient\u2019s results over video.<\/p>\n Telehomecare<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> Delivery of clinical services to a patient\u2019s home using in-home monitoring devices.<\/span><\/p>\n Telemedicine<\/span>:<\/strong> <\/span>Delivery of clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring, over Remote: <\/strong><\/span>When the patient and doctor are interacting, but are not in the same room.<\/p>\n Virtual care: <\/strong><\/span>Encompasses all the virtual interactions a doctor can have with their patients; email, [\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”17px|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”4657,4672,4656,4670,4641″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.21″ max_width=”59%”][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|27px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″ header_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#d37400″]<\/p>\n Melly is not the only Canadian who is unused to interacting with doctors online. According to a 2017 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy survey, Canada\u2019s digital health services scored poorly. When compared to ten other high-income countries, including the United States and Switzerland, Canada came last because many doctors aren\u2019t available over email, lab results aren\u2019t accessible online, and patients face long wait times, whether it\u2019s to see a family doctor or specialist, or in emergency rooms.<\/p>\n Paramedic Carla Harrison observes some of these inefficiencies on the job.<\/p>\n \u201cI see it every day, people call 9-1-1 for a lot of things and it’s not a medical emergency,\u201d said Harrison, who works for the Toronto Paramedic Service, the largest paramedic service in Canada. Harrison says given the long wait times to access doctors, some patients view paramedics as a shortcut to care.<\/p>\n Paramedics in Ontario are obligated to outline all risks to a patient and encourage them to be assessed by a physician in the ER, even if their clinical presentation isn\u2019t currently life-threatening. Though Harrison hasn\u2019t used telemedicine on the job, she sees its potential in pre-hospital care because doctors would be making the call if patients should be brought to the hospital, potentially reducing the number of people at an already overcrowded facility.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|27px|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.21″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.21″ header_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#d37400″]<\/p>\n Yet online health care isn\u2019t a cure-all.<\/p>\nDigital demands<\/h3>\n
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Maple is a Toronto-based telemedicine app. Flip <\/span><\/h4>\n
through to see what it\u2019s like to request a doctor\u2019s<\/span><\/h4>\n
appointment.<\/span><\/h4>\n
A burdened system<\/h3>\n
\u2018Bullshit\u2019 excuses<\/h3>\n