Streamlined communication between first
responders, emergency doctors and cardiologists with
Sayhut app reduces diagnosis time and improves treatment
efficiency
TORONTO, July 29,
2024 /CNW/ - TELUS is proud to announce a
collaboration with the University of
Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada's largest and foremost heart health
centre dedicated to understanding, treating, and preventing heart
disease, and Badal, a leading provider of cloud and data analytics
services recently acquired by TELUS, to successfully deploy
advancements to the Sayhut app - a secure, privacy-compliant
point-of-care smartphone application that helps to reduce
diagnostic time for patients who may be experiencing a heart attack
due to a blocked artery. The app improves the speed and accuracy of
communication between first responders, emergency doctors and
interventional cardiologists at regional cardiac centres, enabling
real-time review and decision-making.
Known as the deadliest type of heart attack, an ST-elevated
myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a total or nearly total blockage
of a coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart. Every
second of delay during an attack causes more of the heart muscle to
fail, diminishing chances of a full recovery. Canadian guidelines
recommend a STEMI patient be diagnosed and receive treatment within
two hours for the best chance of survival. Yet less than 5 per cent
of hospitals nationwide can perform the procedure for
treatment, necessitating transfer of patients between hospitals and
resulting in less than 50 per cent receiving timely care. This is
further exacerbated due to inefficiencies in interhospital
communication, resulting in false alarms and delays in
diagnosis.
"The relationship between care and survival in patients
experiencing a heart attack can be measured in minutes," said Dr.
Hassan Mir, now an academic
cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the
University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
"Our research demonstrates how implementation of the tool in select
regions in Ontario has
significantly improved the timing and accuracy of care, freeing up
valuable time and hospital resources. Our team is optimistic about
the potential of this digital innovation to streamline
communication and patient referral pathways in communities across
Canada and beyond."
Sayhut enables instant transfer of patient data via the app,
allowing medical personnel to securely send electrocardiogram (ECG)
images to care teams at nearby hospitals, leading to quicker
diagnoses and better patient outcomes. The application complies
with relevant data privacy regulations, ensuring that patient
information is transmitted safely and securely. Originally
conceived by Drs. Hassan Mir and
Talha Syed, and implemented across
hospitals in Ontario with the
support of Badal, the app is now expanding to more hospitals and
networks across Canada.
Implemented in 15 hospitals in southwestern Ontario, the app supports the treatment of
thousands of patients. Early evaluations have demonstrated a
significant improvement in the timing of care by nearly 15 minutes
and a reduction of inaccurate diagnoses and transfers by over 10
per cent. Recent funding from the Ontario Centre of Innovation has
enabled the implementation of the app in three additional large
hospitals in Ottawa.
A key component of the current and next iteration of the app is
the cloud infrastructure designed by Badal, leveraging Google's
cloud platform. Winner of the 2024 Google Services Partner of the
Year Award in Canada, Badal builds
customer centric cloud infrastructure and joined the TELUS family
in 2023. TELUS is also collaborating to help scale the technology
for expanded deployment in Canada
and internationally.
"With Badal, TELUS is furthering its commitment to leverage
technology as a transformative tool to improve business and
consumer outcomes, and in this case patient outcomes," said
Jayne Landry, SVP Industry Products
and Technology at TELUS. "Harnessing the power of data, analytics
and the cloud is pivotal to our mission of driving innovation and
delivering exceptional service. The Sayhut application is a great
example of digital transformation within the healthcare industry,
enhancing efficiency, accuracy and performance, and ultimately
bettering the lives of patients."
"At Badal, we understand the critical importance of using data
and cloud technology to drive operational efficiency in
Canada's most highly regulated
industries," said Zohaib Butt,
founder of Badal. "By leveraging the Google Cloud Platform and AI,
we are integrating cutting-edge technology into Canada's healthcare system to achieve better
patient outcomes and setting new standards for healthcare
excellence in Ontario and
beyond."
Development is underway to incorporate AI and enhance the app's
capabilities by leveraging Google's Cloud AI technology, an
approach that Badal is taking not just for Sayhut, but also across
various initiatives at TELUS Health to improve patient outcomes.
The team plans to design models, trained on thousands of ECGs and
existing medical frameworks, to assist in the timely and accurate
identification of heart attacks. Once built, the models will
support medical personnel by prioritizing communication and patient
transfer based on the AI's review of the patient's ECG. It is
important to note however that the app is designed to augment, not
replace, medical professionals' expertise and judgment, ensuring
that final diagnoses and treatment decisions remain firmly in the
hands of qualified healthcare providers.
About the University of Ottawa
Heart Institute
The University of Ottawa Heart
Institute stands as one of Canada's most distinguished heart health
centres for the unparalleled care it provides to its patients, a
world-renowned research institute that brings science from bench to
bedside, and the country's main influencer when it comes to
preventing heart disease. Its promise remains the very pillar on
which it was built: Always putting patients first.
For more information, please visit ottawaheart.ca.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading
communications technology company with more than $20 billion in annual revenue and over 19 million
customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice,
television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose
is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to
drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our
longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every
aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer
service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades
TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading
network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS'
global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide
Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to
the people, resources and information that make our lives
better.
Operating in 32 countries around the world, TELUS Digital
Experience (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer
experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers
next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for
global and disruptive brands across strategic industry verticals,
including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and
fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and
others.
TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader, which provides
employee and family primary and preventive healthcare and wellbeing
solutions. Our TELUS team, along with our 100,000 health
professionals, are leveraging the combination of TELUS' strong
digital and data analytics capabilities with our unsurpassed client
service to dramatically improve remedial, preventive and mental
health outcomes covering nearly 72 million lives, and growing,
around the world. As the largest provider of digital solutions and
digital insights of its kind, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer
Goods enables efficient and sustainable production from seed to
store, helping improve the safety and quality of food and other
goods in a way that is traceable to end consumers.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens
for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give
where we live has inspired TELUS and our team to contribute
$1.7 billion, including 2.2 million
days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and
unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company
in the world. Together, let's make the future friendly.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com,
follow us at @TELUSNews on X and @Darren_Entwistle on
Instagram.
For more information, please contact:
Athyu Eleti
TELUS Public Relations
athyu.eleti@telus.com
Leigh B. Morris
Communications/Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa Heart
Institute
613-316-6409
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca
SOURCE TELUS Communications Inc.