FACTS AND STATS

Technology Will Be Critical to Move Healthcare Organizations Forward in 2023

Turning the page on 2022 will be a cause for celebration in the healthcare sector. The past year was one of the worst financial years on record for hospitals, according to Kaufman Hall. New data from the healthcare consulting firm and the American Hospital Association indicates that 53% to 68% of the nation’s hospitals will end 2022 in the red. At the same time, hospital employment is down approximately 100,000 from pre-pandemic levels.
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DIGITAL HEALTH

Three Issues That Hinder EHR Interoperability and How to Solve Them

Although EHR solutions have been in the spotlight for over a decade, they are still riddled with some persistent interoperability issues. The importance of EHR interoperability has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Exchanging EHR data allows for not only more efficient patient treatment but also for faster understanding of the pandemic in a particular patient population. Hence, healthcare experts have intensified their efforts in ensuring interoperability. 
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Demystifying AI's Role in Healthcare to Reassure New Providers – and Old Pros

Many med students fear artificial intelligence, studies show. One physician AI expert explains how the technology can assist, not replace, doctors working in pathology, diagnostic radiology and anesthesiology.
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MEDICAL GADGETS

Microbial Fuel Cell Powers Ingestible Devices

Researchers at Binghamton University have developed a microbial fuel cell that can power ingestible devices, such as cameras, that can detect health issues in the gastrointestinal tract, and specifically within the small intestine. The fuel cell contains dormant Bacillus subtilis endospores that only germinate and become active when they encounter nutrient-rich intestinal fluid. Another check on activity is a pH-sensitive membrane that only allows the fuel cell to activate when it reaches the neutral pH of the small intestine. 
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Optogenetics Tech for Long-Term Changes in Neuronal Excitability

Scientists at MIT have developed an optogenetics technique that can lead to long-term changes in neuronal excitability by altering neuronal membrane capacitance. Unlike conventional optogenetics, which involves using light to rapidly activate ion channels on engineered neurons, the new technique relies on a light-sensitive reaction to increase the presence of conductive or insulating polymers in the cell membrane. The method creates long-term changes in neuronal excitability, and does not require continuous illumination to maintain these changes.
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GLOBAL WATERCOOLER

How Mental Health Made the 'Remarkable Transition' to Virtual: Study

What RAND researchers describe as “a remarkable transition in the U.S. health system from in-person to virtual care” occurred during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 for individuals seeking mental health services. The study, published recently in JAMA Health Forum, looks at data from about 5.1 million adults covered by commercial health insurance.
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Behavioral Health is Getting a Boost from Virtual Care

Amidst a nationwide psychiatrist shortage in the US, hospitals are turning to telemedicine as demand for behavioral health services mounts. Dr. Tom Milam, chief medical officer at Iris Telehealth, offers perspective. (Video)
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TRENDS

Trends That Defined the Health Tech Space in 2022

How has health tech changed over the recent year? Where is it going? We have asked several top industry executives about it over a recent health tech virtual summit. Read an overview of the health tech landscape and a forecast of where the market is headed.
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What Do These IT Leaders See for Healthcare in 2023? 'Flux'

Regulatory difficulties, workforce shortages, financial pressures, evolving patient expectations, an aging population and more will combine to make the next year uniquely challenging, say tech company CEOs, but they're challenges that can be met.
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New Research Will Better Match Tech Innovation with Patients for Improved Medical Adherence

Medical adherence can be a concern, with taking medication as prescribed often overlooked. This non-adherence usually happens unknowingly or by accident. Thanks to more than half a million dollars in funding from National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Canadian Institute for Health Research-Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA), Dr Tejal Patel is working to improve medication management and assist older adults when taking their medication at home by correctly matching them with new innovative technologies.
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Doctors and Nurses are Becoming Major Influencers on TikTok. While it Can be Fun and Therapeutic, They also Risk Treading in Unethical Waters

The doctor is in and they're posting about it on TikTok. While you might not expect your primary care physician to moonlight as a content creator, many of them already are and have the hefty follower counts to prove it. 
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News From Canada

Saskatoon Doctor Named to Order of Canada for Pioneering Work in Medical Robotics

A professor at the University of Saskatchewan is getting high honours for his work in the field of medicine. Dr. Ivar Mendez has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He joins a group of more than 7,600 Canadians recognized with the honour, whose contributions have enriched the lives of others and made a difference to the country.
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WELL Health Joins Digital Technology Supercluster Project to Advance Interoperability and Leverage AI to Reduce Provider Burdens

WELL Health Technologies Corp., a company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare providers and their patients globally, is pleased to announce it has partnered with ORX Surgical, Tali AI, and Simon Fraser University to transform healthcare data into actionable insights through a Digital Technology Supercluster project called Health Compass.
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Seneca’s Digital Health Hackathon Leads to Scalable Business Solution

Thanks to a recent applied research project with Seneca Innovation and Trinetra Systems Inc., an AI-powered HR data management prototype has been developed that, once live, will help large organizations like Oak Valley Health field inquires more effectively.
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New Technologies Fuel Advancements in Digital Health

Digital health services are providing patients with more personalised treatment, which is ultimately more effective and improves the overall patient experience. Services such as Personal Health Records and diagnostic apps collect, store and analyse patient data, which assists healthcare practitioners with diagnosis as well as enabling them to create tailored treatment plans based on the needs of the patient. 
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Mednow Digital Pharmacy Integrates Pharmacist House Calls Into Medvisit, Its Doctor Home Visit Company

Medvisit’s expanded suite of services includes an at-home medication review program for patients who are not physically able to attend a community pharmacy. The addition of the at-home medication review program, conducted by our team of licensed traveling pharmacists, allows the physician who will see the patient afterwards to focus on treating the patient and not on performing a medication history. Pharmacists are experts in drug therapy and can help as part of the medical team to make processes more efficient.
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Dartmouth Surgeon First in Canada to Perform Total Hip Replacement with Robot Assistance

Last November, Nova Scotia surgeon Jennifer Leighton used a robot to help her plan, then guide her, as she replaced the hip of a patient at the Dartmouth General Hospital — a first in Canada for a total hip replacement procedure.
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20 Ontario Hospitals Transition to MEDITECH Expanse as Members of the ONE Shared Service Organization

Twenty-three hospitals in northeastern Ontario are creating a single electronic health information system to improve the delivery of safe, evidence-based patient-centered care. Three of the hospitals, Sault Area Hospital, North Bay Regional Health Centre, and West Parry Sound Health Centre, went LIVE with the MEDITECH Expanse-based ONE health information system (HIS) in 2019 with the other twenty hospitals now transitioning to the same system.
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PanGenomic Health's Mindleap App to Expand into an All-In-One App and Telehealth Platform For Holistic Mental Health and Resilience

According to the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, an estimated 26% of adults ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Mindleap's aim is to improve the delivery of mental wellness, from mood disorders to everyday resilience and capacity building, by providing a more cost-efficient all-in-one app and telehealth platform that improves accessibility, and saves time for users and clinicians alike.
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The Ottawa Hospital and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Partner with Gray Oncology Solutions to Tackle Important Operational Challenges in Radiation Oncology

GrayOS is an operating system for oncology that draws on operations research and artificial intelligence to automate and optimize patient scheduling within and across departments. GrayOS for radiation therapy has the potential to unlock additional hospital capacity that will help cancer centres treat more patients, with the same resources and quality of care.  
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