The Health Compass II project aims to improve patient engagement and streamline administrative tasks
Canada is investing approximately $15m in the development of artificial intelligence in health care.
Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne calls this initiative a “game changer” for improving the industry's ability to serve patients, according to The Canadian Press.
Champagne states that the funding will be allocated through the ministry's Vancouver-based technology cluster program to 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 $15.3m as leverage to gain additional investments from partners, supporting the total budget of $44m.
The technologies being developed through the program include a “patient-facing virtual agent” estimated to improve patient engagement by 30 percent, as well as automation that streamlines administrative tasks and clinical documentation.
The companies developing the technology say AI automation can save doctors hours each day, allowing them more time to see patients or take breaks to maintain their wellness and service delivery.
Champagne mentions that the latest investment builds on initial funding from 2022 of $3.1m for AI integration in electronic medical records as part of the original Health Compass program.
During the investment announcement in Vancouver, Champagne stated, “And this is technology that we can use today.”
He added, “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).”
