January 13, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Increased demand for medical imaging due to its wider adoption in the prevention, detection and treatment of medical conditions has resulted in a “hurry-up and wait” experience for many patients in the healthcare system. With support from OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™), NextUp Care is working with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Sunnybrook) to improve medical imaging scheduling turnaround time by evaluating NextUp Care’s AI-enabled Intelligent Patient Scheduling Platform (‘Platform’).
Traditional scheduling begins with a physician referral and ends with a patient receiving imaging. However, this is often a manual, time-consuming and costly process that contributes to the turnaround time before patients get notified of their imaging appointment. NextUp Care’s Platform reinvents the process, using scheduling algorithms to automate the appointment booking process and optimize resource utilization. The Platform allows patients and/or caregivers to confirm, remind or cancel appointments via text messaging, which improves patient engagement.
“Imaging is a critical component of diagnosis and treatment,” said Henry Sinn, Director of Medical Imaging at Sunnybrook. “Reducing scheduling turnaround times through an improved and automated scheduling solution is a significant step towards ensuring that patients receive the right care at the right time.”
Wayne Li, NextUp Care’s CEO noted that “by facilitating this collaboration with Sunnybrook, EAHN™ made it possible for us to evaluate our Platform in a world-class healthcare facility. This paves the way for its wider adoption across the healthcare system, and the realization of significant operational efficiencies and improved patient satisfaction.”
“EAHN™ supports the evaluation of technologies that provide value when measured against the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare – patient experience, population health, caregiver wellbeing and cost,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®. “This collaborative and cost-effective evaluation to improve access to medical imaging for thousands of patients through this Platform provides a wonderful example of what EAHN™ can deliver.”
– 3 0 –
About NextUp Care
NextUp Care is automating healthcare – one appointment at a time. Our Intelligent Patient Scheduling Platform enables healthcare providers to automate and optimize scheduling for advanced medical imaging services. The Platform can algorithmically schedule patients without manual intervention and instantly notify patients via text message. NextUp Care is committed to improving access to care in our healthcare system.
About OBIO®
OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions. OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. Visit OBIO® for more information.
About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation, and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada’s war veterans.
Contacts
For more information, please contact:
Bibaswan Ghoshal, Director, Market Acceleration at OBIO®
Wayne Li, CEO at NextUp Care
Henry Sinn, Director of Medical Imaging at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Lisa Di Prospero, Director, Practice-based Research and Innovation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre