Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
National

Feds invest $15M in health-care AI development through Vancouver tech cluster program

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Jul, 2024 03:24 PM
  • Feds invest $15M in health-care AI development through Vancouver tech cluster program

Canada is investing about $15 million toward the development of artificial intelligence in health care that Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne calls a "game changer" for improving the industry's ability to serve patients.

Champagne says the funding will be invested through the ministry's Vancouver-based technology cluster program in five medical tech companies, creating technology that automates certain tasks to enhance care.

The AI initiative, known as the Health Compass II project, will use the federal investment of $15.3 million as leverage for gaining additional investments from partners to support the total budget of $44 million.

The technologies being developed through the program include a "patient-facing virtual agent" that is estimated to improve patient engagement by 30 per cent, as well as automation that streamlines administrative tasks and clinical documentation.

The companies developing the technology say the implementation of AI automation can save doctors hours of time each day for seeing more patients or for taking breaks to maintain their wellness and service delivery.

Champagne says the latest investment builds on initial funding from 2022 of $3.1 million for AI integration in electronic medical records as part of the original Health Compass program.

"And this is technology that we can use today," Champagne said during the investment announcement in Vancouver.

"I think that's what people want to see, more efficient delivery, making sure that their physician would have access to cutting-edge information, making sure they can look at data, and making sure that we can help more people ... this is a game changer in how we're going to be delivering (health)."

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival will go ahead after sewage leak into False Creek

Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival will go ahead after sewage leak into False Creek
Organizers of this weekend's Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say a sewage leak into False Creek where the races are held won't have a major effect on the event. The leak from a pipe under Olympic Village resulted in raw sewage gushing through the neighbourhood, then pouring into the waterway.

Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival will go ahead after sewage leak into False Creek

Abbotsford fire kills 1

Abbotsford fire kills 1
The BC Coroners Services is investigating a house fire in Abbotsford that has killed at least one person and left another two in critical condition.  The City of Abbotsford says fire rescue services were called out yesterday to a reported fire at a house that people were still inside. 

Abbotsford fire kills 1

Surrey police officer charged with excessive speeding

Surrey police officer charged with excessive speeding
Prosecutors say they have charged a Surrey police officer with speeding following an incident last year. A statement from the BC Prosecution Service says the charge against Surrey Police Service Const. Jared Cebryk is in connection with events that happened in the city on June 18, 2023. 

Surrey police officer charged with excessive speeding

Calgary mayor wants wide survey of water lines after catastrophic break

Calgary mayor wants wide survey of water lines after catastrophic break
Calgary's mayor is promising a wide-ranging examination of the city's underground infrastructure after a catastrophic water main break that has forced more than two weeks of use restrictions. Jyoti Gondek says she will be asking council to ensure it has the budget to provide a clear picture of all the city's water system.

Calgary mayor wants wide survey of water lines after catastrophic break

Large, smoky fire extinguished in Metro Vancouver, air quality bulletin to be lifted

Large, smoky fire extinguished in Metro Vancouver, air quality bulletin to be lifted
The Metro Vancouver Regional District says a fire at a trestle bridge in Richmond, B.C., has been extinguished after sending up huge plumes of smoke that prompted an air quality bulletin for the region. The district says in an update on the social media platform X that air quality has now improved and it will issue an update to end the bulletin.

Large, smoky fire extinguished in Metro Vancouver, air quality bulletin to be lifted

Calgary mayor sticks to Stampede opening day for possible main water fix

Calgary mayor sticks to Stampede opening day for possible main water fix
Calgary's mayor is sticking to opening day of the Stampede as a best-case scenario for the full resumption of water services in the city. But Jyoti Gondek warns that unforeseen problems could delay repairs to a catastrophic water main break that has forced citywide use restrictions for more than two weeks

Calgary mayor sticks to Stampede opening day for possible main water fix