FACTS AND STATS

National Hotline Provides Effective Virtual Supervision for Substance Users: Study

Drug overdoses can be prevented and lives saved by providing telephone supervision for people who are using substances alone, according to new research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Researchers reported no deaths during a pilot of the National Overdose Response Service telephone hotline from December 2020 to February 2022. Staff took 2,171 calls from 222 unique callers and monitored them over the phone while they used drugs such as opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine, either intravenously or by inhalation.
During 53 of the calls, the clients became unresponsive and staff were concerned they might be in trouble, so emergency services or community-based responses were alerted. Followup contacts confirmed that all survived.
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DIGITAL HEALTH

Helping Patients Navigate Telehealth Video Visits Benefits Practice

According to the study, attendance improved by 9% and the return on investment totaled $11,387 over a 12-week period. Telehealth attendance and reimbursement can be improved by having a staff member calling patients a day in advance of scheduled telehealth appointments, according to a study.
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Surrey BC’s City Centre 4 Tower the Latest in Massive Health, Tech Hub

The mixed-use building will be part of eight developments that, when completed, will make up the largest health and technology hub of its kind in Canada. The structure will have 360,000 square feet of office space, with 60,000 square feet over five floors of wet lab space with higher ceilings.
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MEDICAL GADGETS

Implantable Device Adheres to Muscle, Treats Atrophy

Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard have developed a mechanically active gel-elastomer-nitinol tissue adhesive, otherwise known as MAGENTA. The implantable device functions as a soft robot, and it can be adhered to the outside of a muscle. 
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Camera Measures Blood Pressure with Quick Look

At the University of South Australia, researchers designed a system that allows them to measure a patient’s blood pressure with a camera. The camera visualizes the patient’s forehead and focuses on two regions in particular to optically determine photoplethysmographic signals that AI algorithms then convert to blood pressure data.
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GLOBAL WATERCOOLER

UMass Memorial Health Proves RPM Virtual Sitting is as Effective as In-Person Care

UMass Memorial Health is the largest health system in Central Massachusetts and the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School. UMass Memorial is the only adult Level I Trauma Center and Level III Neonatal ICU in Central Massachusetts. The health system's experienced caregivers include experts in behavioral health, cancer, cardiology, children and women's services, heart and vascular care, neurology, pulmonology and surgery.
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Mount Sinai Health NY Tackles Digital Health Inequity with Robust RPM Program

In a report examining New York's digital divide based on 2019 American Community Survey data, several key data points were established that continue to describe households in the communities Mount Sinai serves today.
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Telehealth's Future After the End of the Public Health Emergency

When the current public health emergency ends in the US, so do many of the waivers put in place to help providers through the pandemic. Telehealth is the big exception, getting an additional 151 days before a loss of flexibilities such as the ability for patients to get virtual care from their home.
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Medtronic Announces First Patient Enrolled in U.S. Clinical Trial for Hugo™ Robotic-Assisted Surgery System

Medtronic, a global healthcare technology leader, today announced the first patient enrolled in the Expand URO U.S. clinical trial for the Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system. The robotic-assisted prostatectomy procedure was performed by Dr. Michael R. Abern at Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C.
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News From Canada

Drop in OHIP Funding Shakes Up Virtual Care Services as One Company Starts Charging Subscription Fees

One online pediatric healthcare platform is severely cutting back its virtual services and another has started charging its users a monthly subscription fee, after the Ontario government began limiting public health insurance payments to doctors for virtual care. Ontario’s payouts changed on Dec. 1, reducing the amount doctors can bill the government.
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UNB Fredericton Researchers Want to Use AI to keep Seniors Out of Hospitals

Researchers at the University of New Brunswick are working on technology that can track and analyze changes in a senior's health to reduce the chances of hospitalization. The data-gathering and analysis project is called Proactive Integrated Technology-Enabled Patient-Centric Healthcare (PITCH). The product is an app with data collection, sharing and analytical capabilities.
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N.L. Paying Telehealth Company More Than Twice What it Pays Doctors for Consultations

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association found a contract between the provincial government and Fonemed among the province’s online roster of completed access to information requests. The five-year contract, which began March 1, is worth over $31 million and pays between $82 and $92 for virtual care appointments with nurse practitioners
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Cloud DX Expands Contract with Ontario Hospital

Cloud DX, a leading Virtual Care platform, along with one of its global healthcare leader partners, signed an expansion contract with an existing Ontario hospital client to provide remote patient monitoring to an additional 100 cardiac patients.
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Digital Mental Health Platform Get A-Head Begins Next Phase of Growth with $17M Acquisition

Mental health training and delivery platform Get A-Head is pleased to announce its completed acquisition, valued at $17 million, by Vector Health Labs. Building on successful use cases with a range of professional sports teams and Dr. Peter Cornish of the University of California, Berkeley, this first-of-its-kind platform focuses on both the training of future mental health professionals and the cost-effective delivery of mental health therapy.
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QEII Foundation Announces $1-Million Donation from TD Bank Group to Support Atlantic Canada's First Orthopaedic Surgical Robot and Affiliated Research

The QEII Foundation has announced a $1-million donation from TD Bank Group (TD) to support Atlantic Canada's first orthopaedic surgical robot at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. The Mako SmartRobotics system — a robotic arm controlled by a surgeon during hip and knee surgeries — is revolutionizing orthopaedic surgeries and providing better patient outcomes. The funding from TD marks the Bank's largest single donation to date supporting healthcare in Atlantic Canada.
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