Building on the success of the Continuous Connected Patient Care (CCPC) project, a consortium of leading Canadian medtech companies, led by FluidAI Medical in collaboration with Medtronic Canada ULC, Excelar Technologies, Providence Health Care Ventures, and the University of Waterloo, has announced the launch of the Postoperative Patient Management Platform (PPMP) project under Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, known as DIGITAL. This initiative aims to revolutionize postoperative care through advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.
Postoperative complications pose significant challenges, leading to prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, and adverse patient outcomes. Studies have found nearly 15% of surgical mortality cases are potentially preventable if caught earlier. Additionally, the associated costs of additional treatments following complications due to prolonged hospital stays and readmissions are estimated to be between 1.5 to 4 times higher than for primary admissions. The PPMP project addresses these issues by developing a sophisticated platform that utilizes in-hospital data to create predictive models for patient risk assessment. This platform will help healthcare providers make timely and informed decisions, enhancing patient care and reducing the burden on healthcare resources.
The primary objectives of the PPMP project include the development of advanced predictive analytics to foresee postoperative complications such as anastomotic leaks and respiratory depression. Respiratory depression, often induced by opioids administered during and after surgery, is a significant adverse event that can result in prolonged hospital stays and increased costs—up to $23,000 USD for high-risk patients. Additionally, current diagnostic techniques, such as CT scans, have limited sensitivity in detecting postoperative complications like anastomotic leaks, which often go undetected for an average of 8.5 days, posing severe risks to patient health. By integrating extensive data sets from electronic health records and monitoring devices, the platform will offer actionable insights for surgeons, allowing for quicker and more precise decision-making. The commercialization strategy includes initial deployment at Providence Health Care’s St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, with plans to expand to other hospitals, leveraging partnerships to distribute the platform across Canada, the US, and global markets.
FluidAI Medical is leading the development of predictive models and integrating the Stream™ Platform for remote patient monitoring. Medtronic Canada is providing vital monitoring solutions and collaborating on the development of predictive analytics. Excelar Technologies is enhancing its CareFlow platform to support broader use cases in AI-driven risk prediction. Providence Health Care Ventures is facilitating feasibility trials, validating solutions, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The data governance strategy includes the highest standards of privacy, security, ethics and consent approvals and management. The University of Waterloo is conducting user needs assessments to ensure the platform meets healthcare providers’ requirements. Each consortium member brings unique expertise and resources to the project, creating a robust and comprehensive solution for postoperative patient management.
Also Read: SyntheticMR Appoints Francois Hebert as North America President
By integrating AI and continuous monitoring into the PPMP project, we are developing a platform that not only facilitates earlier detection of complications but also sets a new precedent for proactive, data-driven patient care.” Says Youssef Helwa, CEO at FluidAI. “FluidAI is proud to be leading the collaboration of Canadian medical technology pioneers on this project which highlights our collective commitment to innovation and excellence.”
Rick Sethi, Sr. Director of Research & Technology and Open Innovation at Medtronic AC&M, says, “We are excited to be collaborating with amazing partners such as DIGITAL, FluidAI and our other consortium team members to find ways to reduce length of stay of patients in hospitals. The development of our AI-based Clinical Decision Support technology will help augment patient care by supporting our clinicians.”
“AI will revolutionize global health care systems by providing greater access and better outcomes for Canadians and for people around the world.” said Sue Paish, CEO of DIGITAL. “By uniting industry leaders, innovators, and academic partners, we’re building the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs and ensuring Canada remains at the cutting-edge of global AI innovation. We’re proud to co-invest alongside innovators like FluidAI to build relevant AI solutions that advance human health while building global commercial pathways for Canadian companies.”
By enhancing patient care through early detection and intervention of postoperative complications, the platform will directly improve patient outcomes. Hospitals will benefit from more efficient patient management, reduced hospital stays, and lower readmission rates, and significant cost savings. The PPMP project is a development project and is not yet licensed by Health Canada.
Source: PRNewswire
