Ontario announced that it is committing $5.4 million towards 15 health technology projects that are dedicated to improving patient care using technology.
The grants, which range from $95,000 to $500,000, will support the development of software and mobile devices that focus on delivering better home and community care for patients, and addressing inefficiencies in Ontario’s healthcare system. The funding is a part of Ontario’s $20 million Health Technologies Fund (HTF), which aims to support healthtech teams working on projects related to home and community care through virtual, digital, and mobile healthtech.
The 15 projects will be assessed and evaluated over the next 18 to 24 months to ensure they are ready to scale and commercialize. Each project has a “Health Innovation Team” made up of at least one provider of publicly-funded health care services, and at least one tech company with a research and development or manufacturing presence in Ontario.
Among the projects receiving funding are MindMerge, which is receiving $500,000 to build a software that provides patients with information about upcoming tests, appointments, and treatment recommendations; aTouchAway, which is receiving $500,000 to develop an app that allows patients to make or receive calls from their caregivers, signal emergencies, and check on their medications; and SMArTVIEW, which is receiving $499,313 to design software that helps patients who underwent cardiac or vascular surgery receive continuous vital sign monitoring in the hospital and at home to prevent post-surgery complications.
The next call for applications for the Health Technologies Fund will be announced in spring 2017. To view the full list of projects, click here.