TELUS and University of Ottawa Heart Institute partner to boost emergency cardiac care efficiency with smartphone app

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
[e-mail]

Leigh B. Morris
Communications/Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-316-6409
[e-mail]

SOURCE TELUS Communications Inc.

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