The Government of Ontario has launched a new, streamlined system for reviewing and adopting healthtech solutions.
It’s called the Health Innovation Pathway, and it allows vendors to submit proposals for tech that potentially improves patient outcomes and increases efficiency in Ontario’s health system.
The Ontario government claims the program, which is already accepting applications, will accelerate the adoption of new tech in the province and prioritize “made-in-Ontario” technologies.
“Ultimately, we will judge the success of this innovation pathway based on whether it lets Canadian companies get their foot in the door.”
“By providing a pathway for these Ontario-made solutions and innovations to be implemented in our medical system, this initiative will champion our researchers, unlock new opportunities for commercialization, and build on the ambitions set out in our government’s Life Sciences Strategy,” Ontario minister of economic development Vic Fedeli said in a statement.
The Health Innovation Pathway was developed by Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health as part of the provincial government’s broader Life Sciences Strategy. Through the strategy, they hope to establish Ontario as a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub. Supply Ontario will support the review and procurement of healthtech solutions through the program.
Canadian tech entrepreneurs and other leaders have argued that Canada’s existing approach to public procurement is a problem, including in the healthcare space.
Industry advocates expressed excitement about the potential of this initiative to address some of those barriers for healthtech in Ontario, and argued that its success will depend upon how well it prioritizes engaging local entrepreneurs.
In a LinkedIn post, Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX) executive director Elliot Fung called the Health Innovation Pathway “a game-changer.” Fung argued that Ontario’s healthtech entrepreneurs have developed “world-class solutions” for many years. However, he said few of these technologies have been used to benefit Ontarians, thanks to the absence of a clear reimbursement process and validated pathways.
“The Innovation Pathway addresses this barrier by providing a single, end-to-end process to test, validate, and scale the adoption of new technologies through public reimbursement,” Fung said. He added that the initiative could be a “turning point” for the adoption of locally made healthtech solutions in Ontario of the sort developed by MIX members.
Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) director of Ontario affairs, Skaidra Puodžiūnas, noted in a statement that CCI is “thrilled” to see the Health Innovation Pathway begin taking proposals. Puodžiūnas noted that Canadian healthtech procurement is “a frustrating process” for many entrepreneurs, who often find it easier to sell into the United States and other foreign markets.
“Ultimately, we will judge the success of this innovation pathway based on whether it lets Canadian companies get their foot in the door,” Puodžiūnas said. “Our homegrown innovators have great tools and technologies to improve health care and reduce costs, and we hope the Health Innovation Pathway is the avenue for government to deploy those tools in the health care system.”
Ontario said it is also investing $12 million CAD across four new projects related to wound care, artificial intelligence-powered screening, and surgical care through its Health Technology Accelerator Fund, which aims to help healthcare providers buy and use new tech.
Feature image courtesy Irwan on Unsplash