Encouraging you every step of the way: Health coaches help Canadians manage chronic disease
MARKHAM, ON, June 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Saint Elizabeth is pleased to announce a new partnership with insurance carrier Medavie Blue Cross, designed to improve the health of Canadians.
Medavie Blue Cross is now offering Saint Elizabeth's national virtual health coaching service as part of its Managing Chronic Disease extended health benefit program, delivered through a nation-wide network of providers. The partnership will allow specially-qualified clinicians to help plan members and their families take action and stay on track with better chronic disease management and healthy lifestyle choices.
"The high rate of chronic disease in Canada is a serious challenge," notes Shirlee Sharkey, CEO of Saint Elizabeth. "Engaging patients in their own health and wellbeing will benefit families, employers and society, while reducing the burden on our health care system. We are excited to be working with Medavie Blue Cross and leveraging our shared not-for-profit values to bring about positive change."
Effective immediately, plan members of Medavie Blue Cross and their families can access comprehensive coaching and customized health care services to assist with:
Better Heart Health
Diabetes Care
Quit Smoking
Better Lung health
"Medavie Blue Cross is committed to work with strong partners to provide easier access to quality care and improve patient health outcomes," says Anne Nicoll, Vice-President, Business Development at Medavie Blue Cross. "The deep clinical roots and expertise of Saint Elizabeth allow us to help members across Canada take charge of their health, developing action plans and goal setting."
Together, Saint Elizabeth and Medavie Blue Cross have almost 200 years of combined history in providing health services and solutions to meet the needs of Canadians.
In 2015, Medavie Blue Cross became the first benefit provider in Canada to offer chronic disease management as an extended health care benefit in group and individual plans, with a focus on removing potential barriers to self-care.
FAST FACTS:
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide (World Health Organization)
Almost 60% of employees are living with a chronic disease, contributing to lost productivity, higher drug spends and more disability claims (Sanofi Canada)
Since 2015, Saint Elizabeth has provided more than 3,000 virtual coaching sessions with high satisfaction rates – 90% of clients would recommend the service
About Saint Elizabeth Saint Elizabeth is a national social enterprise providing home care, health solutions and education to people where they are and when they need it. With Canadian roots and more than 100 years of expertise, the not-for-profit charitable organization is accelerating health care innovation to support healthy lives globally. Through its team of 9,000 health leaders, Saint Elizabeth delivers 20,000 care exchanges daily, totalling 50 million in the last decade alone. Learn more at saintelizabeth.com or find us on social media.
About Medavie Blue Cross Medavie Blue Cross is a premier all-in-one carrier that provides health, dental, travel, life and disability benefits to plan members nation-wide. The organization also administers government-sponsored health programs across Canada. Medavie Blue Cross and Medavie Health Services, the largest private provider of Emergency Medical Services in Canada, are subsidiaries of Medavie. As a not-for-profit organization, Medavie Blue Cross is proud to commit an annual social dividend to the Medavie Health Foundation to promote healthier communities.
SOURCE Saint Elizabeth Health Care
Kurt Kazanowski MS, RN, CHE, author of A Son’s Journey: Taking Care of Mom and Dad, who is a senior care, homecare and hospice expert, offers these tips:
Stay hydrated
Dehydration is one of the main causes of most health problems, not just heat related. To keep everything running efficiently in the body, and keep it cool, water is a must. Encourage them to continually drink water throughout the day even if they aren’t thirsty. Your body needs water way before it tells you through the sensation of thirst. Keep an eye on the consumption of caffeine and alcohol as their intake dries out the body.
Notice the time of day
If you have an activity planned, especially one with heavy sun exposure, schedule it accordingly. The hottest times of the summer day are between 12pm and 4pm. Aim for morning or evening when thinking about having a family outing in the summer. Most importantly keep the time limited. There is only so long people of any age can benefit from being in direct sunlight.
Dress appropriately and seek shade
Older individual’s skin is particularly sensitive. Encourage them to use sunscreen and bug sprays when necessary. Utilize shade during your summer fun when possible. They can also wear light breathable layers and sun hats to avoid sun exposure if shade is not an option.
Watch the index
High heat coupled with high humidity impairs the bodies sweat glands. Therefore, it can’t cool itself properly. The heat index takes the moisture and heat measurements into account. It then reports the temperature ‘it feels like’ outside with multiple variables in mind. There are apps and various websites where you can check the heat index easily.
Take it easy
Plan your activities with all family members and their needs in mind. Strenuous activities outdoors are overwhelming to many in the summer. Sometimes turning your activity plans into two-parts is the most successful. If you are inviting your older family members, consider their limitations. Maybe have one part of the family do the hike and meet your parents for lunch after with everyone. That way it is still a social activity but without the stress for them.
Utilize AC
Air conditioning is a wonderful asset for people of every age, especially those in hot climates. If seniors do not have AC in their homes, they can take advantage of public places. Libraries, movie theatres, coffee shops and shopping centers all have AC. Taking a cool bath or shower is a good option as well. Other easy options involve cool cloths and ice packs. Make sure these are handy at their home for a quick grab when needed.
Know the signs of heat illnesses
Keep an eye out for any signs that seem off or out of the ordinary. Sudden redness in the face, dizziness or nausea are red flags. Sit them down in a cool place with a glass of ice water and take a breath. Any chest pain, erratic breathing, rapid heartbeat or sudden headaches should all be taken seriously. Seek medical attention if it gets worse.
Young beautiful, woman waking up fully rested.
5 Ways Your Sleep Health Is Affecting Your Fitness Goals
It’s very easy to prioritize your morning workout routine over adequate sleep. I had a friend who despite going to bed late would always wake up very early every day just to get to the gym on time. Unfortunately, sleep is one of the things that are underestimated by most people. What we don’t realize is that sleep has a great impact on our fitness goals. If you are having difficulties achieving your fitness goals, you might want to take a look at your sleep health. Below are the reasons why.
How Proper Sleep Health Enhances Your Fitness Goals
Increased Energy Levels
The level of energy you have during your workout exercise is greatly affected by the quality of sleep you get. Maintaining a constant workout routine helps your body to get used to some routine. You’ll realize that if you work out every day at the right time, you’ll find it easier to fall asleep in the evening. A good night of sleep will help with your muscles to recover and restore all your energy making it readily available for your next day workout.
Inadequate sleep, on the other hand, will make you feel tired all the time and sluggish. As a result, you’ll tend to grab energy foods and beverages to replace the energy you didn't restore during sleep. This results in consumption of extra calories which will again take more time to burn out.
Increased Metabolism
Your body is able to recuperate from your daily exercise while asleep hence leading to restoration of metabolism. In addition, according to research, your body releases hormones that help in metabolism while you sleep. These include cortisol and growth hormone (GH).
Appetite Control
Ghrelin (a hormone that affects appetite) is always high in people who have poor sleeping habits. This hormone increases your craving for food and you will always feel hungry. A healthy sleep reduces the production of Ghrelin and increases the production of Leptin which consequently results in a better weight loss experience. This is according to a research by PLoS Med.
A Boost in Your Health
There is a close relationship between sleep and the immune system. When you sleep, disease-fighting substances, such as melatonin, are released into our bodies. According to Dr. Mercola, our bodies are able to fight diseases such as cancer due to these proteins, hormones, and chemicals that are released during sleep.
If you are sleep deprived, these substances will not be available to fight infections, viruses, and bacteria. As a result, you will get more prone to diseases or take a longer time to heal. This does not mean you dedicate extra hours of sleep, but rather ensuring you get at least seven hours of sleep each day.
Lack of Focus
According to the National Sleep Research Project, if you stay awake for 17 hours, you will start behaving like someone who has taken alcohol. Therefore the lack of sleep can hinder your focus, vigilance, and attention making it more difficult to practice your fitness regimen.
In Conclusion
If you want to be successful in your fitness goals, learn to prioritize your sleep health. How can you do that? By creating a sleeping routine, ‘turning off’ your brain at least two hours before you get to bed, and most importantly make your bedroom your small sanctuary.
Remember that sometimes it might take as long as 30 days for the routine to work. Don’t lose hope. If you can’t use all the tactics, start by employing some and before you realize it you will be enjoying your sleep. For you to meet your fitness goals, you need to combine eating healthy, doing your exercises regularly, and getting quality sleep for your body’s rejuvenation.
Bio: Sarah is the editor of sleepydeep.com. Feeling the repercussions of being an irregular sleeper for far too long, she decided to do something about it. She learned why sleep is so important and how to maximize it, and is now helping others who are struggling to find their right sleep routine.
As summer is in full swing, it’s important to put your best hair forward with healthy and gorgeous locks that are sure to impress. From taking essential vitamins to a simple head massage, hair restoration expert Dr. Baiju Gohil breaks down some easy ways to get enviable hair this season.
Dr. Gohil is a board-certified surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, dedicated to hair restoration and hair loss treatment. He opened Robotic Hair Restoration Long of Island (RHRLI) in July of 2015 and continues to transform the lives of his male and female patients.
His hair expertise is unparalleled with over 10 years of experience and you can check out his hot hair tips here:
Vitamins: Vitamins A, C and E can play a vital role when it comes to having beautiful and healthy hair. Adding biotin, zinc, magnesium and niacin can also have significant benefits.
Eat Right: Eating the right foods can provide essential nutrients for your scalp and hair follicles. Foods high in protein and iron are extremely important, as well as enriched foods containing omega-3. It's also important to be careful of those crash diets that can void your body of these vitamin enriched foods and proteins.
Hair Care: External hair care is vital if you want healthy hair. Weekly deep conditioning is crucial for maintenance and limiting the use of heat (curling irons/hair dryers/flat irons) will minimize damage to your hair. Finally, applying essential oils 2-3 times a week and limiting hair washing to every 2-3 days can also be beneficial.
Massages: Massaging the scalp as often as possible is also very helpful in promoting healthy hair. This increases the blood flow to the follicles, helping to provide important nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles.
Therapy: If someone is suffering from hair loss, there are three FDA cleared and approved therapies that can help to slow down and possibly stabilize that process in both men and some women, depending on the underlying cause. Low level laser therapy, finasteride (Propecia/men only), and topical minoxidil (Rogaine-5% for men and 2% for women) may all be helpful depending on your situation.
Effective body massages for weight loss
Young couple is having a back massage at the spa centre. [url=http://www.istockphoto.com/search/lightbox/9786786][img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40117171/couples.jpg[/img][/url]Those people who are suffering from obesity and want to get back in shape should consider the use of massage therapy. A deep massage helps you to get rid of stress that is considered as one of the biggest cause of obesity. The stress hormone cortisol activates the excessive formation of adipose tissue is the human body and increases the chances of obesity in an individual. Therefore it is necessary that a weight loss massage therapy is added to the priority level of your weight loss program.
A deep massage helps in the activation and proper functioning of the circulatory system. The gentle strokes of massage increase the blood flow that aid the body in the removal of toxic waste from the body at a quick pace. This is a great strategy for the human body to get rid of fats because it is the toxins that allow accumulation of fat in the body. Making use of therapeutic massage with regular exercise is an effective tip to get away with subcutaneous fat, more effective than exercise done alone.
Mainly there are three types of massage therapy recommended that have been actively contributing in melting the layers of fat from the body. Enlisted in this article are a few massage therapies that can help you lose weight. However, the choice is yours for which massage to opt to keep in view your body requirements:
Aromatherapy massage:
As the name indicates, this is a special type of body massage that acts on our desire to eat foods with a specific aroma. The active use of this massage therapy helps us to control our over eating habits. Special types of oils are used in this aromatherapy massage. People who have experienced the massage with specific oils that deals with obesity have witnessed proper sleep and that their muscular pain vanishes away like magic after getting the massage therapy. The good thing about this massage is that it acts as a compliment by providing loads of energy when you are on a diet plan.
Abdominal massage:
The abdominal massage is popular for its characteristics of dealing with waste and toxic products that accumulate in the body and hinder the functioning of its systems. The gentle strokes of massage on the stomach would help to increase the rate of metabolism, as well as boost the working of the digestive system. A regular abdominal massage will help you strike a balance in the gain of calories keeping in consideration the metabolic rate of the body. An in-depth abdominal massage will charge the body and increase its ability to work out. The workout with stored energy would result in the burning of calories and make you feel less fatigued.
Therapeutic Massage:
Edema is the accumulation of fluid that causes swelling in the body, making you look obese. The swelling significantly hinders the metabolic rate making it harder for you to shed those extra pounds of fats. Massage therapy improves the blood flow in the body and decreases the body fluids that cause swelling thereby helping you to tone your body.
Author Bio:
Laura Martel is a mother of two and a geek at heart. She loves reading books and spending time with her family. She regularly blogs at www.MassageTut.com
It's so sad, but many today are suffering with IBS and other similar problems. One of the best and most natural ways to alleviate pain and complications that come with IBS is with your diet. This is why I was thrilled to be introduced to Cinzia Cuneo's new book, "The Low-FODMAP Solution: Put an End to IBS Symptoms and Abdominal Pain".
This is what Cinzia Cuneo says about her book:
Cinzia's objective is to provide you with a tool that will help you attain intestinal wellbeing via a diet that's low in FODMAPs. The first part of her book presents the theory and provides the understanding of why the diet works as well as how you adopt the lifestyle. This includes everything from recommendations for vegetarians to an easy to follow chart which lists all the foods and ingredients that need to be avoided on the diet. She also offers sound advice on reading labels and adapting your favorite recipes.
In the second section of the book, there are 125 recipes and 4 weeks of meal plans that will help you ease into the diet with support and understanding. And the recipes are delicious -- just because you're managing IBS doesn't mean you and your family can't eat flavorful and enticing meals.
The 125 recipes are for breakfasts, starters and salads, soups, entrees, sandwiches, sides, snacks and desserts. A typical lunch is Rice and Lentil Salad with Herbs and Tomato, or Pork Fillet and Prosciutto with Spinach, Raisins and Steamed Brown Rice. And dinner is something as easy to prepare as Chicken Fajitas with Tomato and Cucumber Salsa or if you're entertaining, Filet Mignon with a Creamy Paprika Sauce with Greek-Style Roasted Vegetables.
While prepping, it's nearly impossible to try anything that's not on my meal plan, but I was able to share some of the recipes with one of my clients suffering from IBS and she had nothing but great things to say. She said that the meals were not only tasty but helped her feel much better. With IBS she really has to watch it and stay away from trigger foods and she said that the recipes she tried from this book caused no triggers.
I think this is a great book for IBS sufferers to have just from the information and knowledge shared in the first part of the book alone!
If you're familiar with Japanese culture or have visited Japan, you will quickly find how important tea is and how vastly it is used within the culture. I recently participated in the #7daydrinkgreen challenge and the results were pretty eyeopening. When asked, how can I lose more weight without doing anything or what can I do to fight sugar cravings, I always suggest tea. That's why I was so happy to have the chance to try out a Nanami Power Set.
I absolutely LOVE green tea! The health benefits of green tea are endless! It's great for your skin, your energy, your waistline and more! What's so amazing about Nanami Tea is that they offer authentic green tea (no garbage or fillers or blends). Their tea is is carefully picked and crafted from their tea farm in Uji Kyoto, Japan. This company is one of very few that offer green tea at a farm-to-cup experience.
I had the opportunity to try the Nanami Power Set, in the power set I recieved Matcha (my favorite), Sencha, Hojicha and Genmaicha.
So check out my 7 day review below:
So if I could, I would drink Matcha tea, all day every day. Matcha by far is my favorite kind of tea and was my fav from the Nanami Power Set.
Day 1 - Each one of the teas is numbered and has a different purpose but I wanted to try things a little out of order and drink tea based upon what I felt like drinking for the day. Today I tried the Matcha Tea and all I can say is AMAZING! I've tried many different Matcha teas from ordering at my local tea shop to Starbucks to ordering Matcha off of amazon and this by far is the most cleanest, purest Matcha tea yet! My energy levels were high and I felt amazing.
Day 2 - Once again, I decided to go with some Matcha tea in the morning, but I also decided to mix the Matcha inside of my smoothie that I had for a snack. The taste was very green and exactly what I wanted and was looking for. I really feel like this is going to go into my daily rotation or be used whenever I have a craving for something super green and super clean.
Day 3 - I drink a lot of water every day to ensure I meet my fitness and health goals, but what I love about this challenge is how I'm really focusing on my water intake. Drinking the tea is like a treat! I've also been drinking this tea without any sweeteners. Drinking this way ensures I get a pure taste and get the maximum benefits of the tea which I can really feel.
Day 4 - I decided to try one of the other teas out of the set. Today, I went with Hojicha. This tea is unique because it is roasted. The directions for this tea suggest drinking it before bed and I see why. This tea was very calming and I could tell that it didn't have as much caffeine in it as the matcha because I didn't get an increase in energy. This tea is great for relaxing. The flavor is incredible and one that I never could imagine you could get from a green tea. The flavor was more nutty with a hint of caramel and very soothing! It was a great treat after drinking only water all day.
Day 5 - Things have been so busy for me these last few days and I felt like I needed a boost, so I decided to try the Sencha tea today. This was a great choice! This tea gave me the pick me up I needed to tackle the rest of my day. I had a cup of this tea after I finished my fasted cardio, and it gave me a boost of energy that I needed. It was like a pick-me up. I also noticed that I wasn't as tired as I normally would have been. This was probably attributed to the the high amount of caffeine. This is also a great tasting tea!
Day 6 - I'm almost at the end of the challenge and I don't think I want to stop! Drinking all of this water and green tea has definitely helped me feel MUCH better! Not only do I feel healthier but I feel more alert and positive. The effects of green tea!! I absolutely loved how the Sencha made me feel so I decided to start with a cup this morning and also during mid-day! So refreshing! I ended he day with Hojicha and once again, it was an amazing treat! The smell of the Hojicha is so comforting and warm! It's a must for a relaxing evening before bed.
Day 7 - Drinking water all day has many health benefits and I've really grown to appreciate them over the past few days! Drinking only water and green tea as a treat periodically throughout the day has been a treat! I would suggest this challenge to anyone that is trying to reset their system or just get a bit healthier. It's so important to limit the amount of soda and sugary drinks you intake (juices filled with high fructose syrup, hot chocolates and fraps). I started the day with my ultimate fav... MATCHA!! And ended the day with my new evening fav Hojicha.
My overall review:
These teas are amazing and I suggest every tea connoisseur try them!
TORONTO, May 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) is pleased to announce that it has selected TELUS Health as the successful bidder for the technical solution provider for PrescribeIT™, Canada's e-prescribing service.
"TELUS Health proposed an innovative approach that together with their advanced capabilities and capacity to deliver on our vision make them an ideal choice for PrescribeIT™," commented Michael Green, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway.
"As a longstanding technology provider enabling improved health outcomes for Canadians, we are proud to be working with Infoway to develop and operate PrescribeIT. PrescribeIT will be built on our open, interoperable and vendor agnostic TELUS Health Exchange platform, which is already enabling collaboration and efficiency in the primary care ecosystem," said Paul Lepage, President of TELUS Health. "We look forward to advancing this service in support of driving better health outcomes for Canadians and helping to bring PrescribeIT to patients as soon as possible."
Infoway's experienced management team, together with TELUS Health will serve the interest of all Canadians, prescribers, pharmacists and pharmacies by ensuring patient choice of pharmacy, safeguarding patient data and upholding privacy and security standards while optimizing existing investments in provincial drug information systems.
"PrescribeIT™ will greatly aid policy makers and health care providers alike in the struggle against opioid misuse," noted Green. "Through a single, national e-prescribing system, we can reduce fraud and abuse by eliminating handwritten prescriptions, avoid fragmentation of patient health care information, and ensure data integrity for opioid monitoring and surveillance."
The PrescribeIT™ team is currently preparing for trial runs of PrescribeIT™ in select communities in Alberta and Ontario starting in mid-2017 in preparation for a full-scale rollout across the country starting in mid-2018. For more information on PrescribeIT™ please visit www.infoway-inforoute.ca/PrescribeIT. For more information on TELUS Health, please visit www.telushealth.co.
About Canada Health Infoway
Infoway helps to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government.
SOURCE Canada Health Infoway
Hyperloop, smart homes, a personal helicopter, wearable technology, healthtech and cleantech among the many head-turning innovations at Discovery 2017
TORONTO, May 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Ontario Centres of Excellence's (OCE's) award-winning Discovery conference returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building on May 15-16. The hotly anticipated annual event is celebrating 12 years of bold, new ideas with a dynamic showcase of the best Ontario and Canadian innovators have to offer.
Discovery's 200,000-square-foot show floor is packed with made-in-Ontario exhibits, exciting and informative panels and interactive sessions. Featured this year among the more than 500 exhibits are some of the latest developments in next-generation transportation including a Hyperloop Zone with virtual reality simulations and a levitation pod from Waterloop, smart cars from Tesla and General Motors featuring AI integration, an ultramodern smart home, a cutting-edge aerospace zone with a personal helicopter prototype from Airvinci, robotics, healthtech, biometrics, wearable tech including biosensor clothing, and augmented reality demonstrations.
"Over the past decade OCE's Discovery has brought some of the most exciting speakers, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders from Ontario and around the globe to our two-day celebration of the innovation ecosystem," says Dr. Tom Corr, President and CEO of OCE. "Discovery brings together industry, academia, investors, government, students, young entrepreneurs and more to share ideas, network, invest and create business relationships that drive Ontario's economic growth and global competitiveness."
"Our government recognizes that innovations like the ones unveiled at OCE Discovery create the jobs and technologies that will fuel our economy now and in the future," says Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Growth. "We are pleased to support these next-generation ideas that will boost Ontario's competitive advantage in a fierce and fast-changing global economy and maintain our position at the leading edge of technological innovation."
Named Canada's Best Trade Show in 2010, 2011, and 2016, OCE's Discovery is Canada's premier innovation showcase. It brings together the best and brightest minds in industry, academia, investment and government to showcase leading-edge technologies, best practices and research in the areas of energy, fintech, cleantech, advanced health, digital media, information and communication technologies and advanced manufacturing. The annual conference and trade show attracts more than 3,500 attendees and 500 exhibitors.
"Discovery is a showcase for the kind of game-changing technologies that improve our lives and drive Ontario's knowledge-based economy," says Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. "As part of our government's Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs, we are proud to support OCE Discovery in advancing these cutting-edge collaborations at every stage of their development."
Discovery will feature two main-stage keynote speakers:
On May 15, Jared Cohen, founder of Google Ideas and President of Jigsaw will speaking from the main stage about the new digital age from his unique vantage point at the centre of technology and how it is changing the world, especially for the 5 billion people expected to come online in the next decade.
On May 16, Gina McCarthy will deliver an environmental message on both the mainstage and in the Discovery Theatre that conveys common sense strategies and sustainable solutions backed by science. McCarthy is well-known and celebrated for her work with the Obama White House as former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Discovery also welcomes Marc Goodman, New York Times best-selling author, founder of the Future Crimes Institute, and global strategist as a featured presenter on the panel Lessons in Innovation from the Criminal Underground and the Future of Financial Crimes.
OCE is also excited to feature panels with some of Canada's leading entrepreneurs at Discovery 2017 including;
Technology of the Future
Seizing Opportunity in China
Future of Ontario's Health System: Driving Value and Impact
Next-Generation Transportation
Scale-Ups: How Ontario Entrepreneurs are Scaling Up and Attracting International Attention
A networking bonanza, Discovery provides students, job seekers, young entrepreneurs and start-ups seeking investment and an array of opportunities to interact with experts, investors, potential collaborators and employers.
This includes:
Meet An Investor, where attendees can meet one-on-one with expert investors, entrepreneurs, innovation agents, and professional services and export specialists.
Discovery's Book a Meeting feature, which attendees can use to message and book timeslots to meet before, during or after Discovery with other attendees, exhibitors, and investors on the show floor.
The B2B and B2G Zones. In keeping with the aim of making Discovery a place to do business, the conference will also facilitate meetings between large corporations and start-ups and scale-ups through its B2B Zone, and meetings between businesses and government through the new B2G Zone.
Discovery will also highlight:
Ontario-based companies showcasing their accessibility-focused innovations in the Accessibility Innovation Showcase on the Discovery show floor in partnership with Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Growth.
Ontario-based companies exhibiting social innovations in the Social Enterprise Zone.
Now a crowd-pleasing favourite, Discovery 2017 will also hold four pitch competitions featuring some of Ontario's brightest entrepreneurs from across the province:
Young Entrepreneurs, Make Your Pitch for high-school students
Accessibility Innovation Tech Pitch Competition
Social Enterprise Pitch Competition
ONtrepreneurs Pitch Challenge presented by the Ontario Brain Institute
Discovery continues to promote the exchange of ideas and encourage new ways to collaborate and push the boundaries of research and innovation through to demonstration and development. With so many thought leaders in one place, attending Discovery is a great way to explore Ontario's bright future in the global innovation ecosystem.
Billion-dollar Growth Opportunities in Cancer Testing Market: How Will Collaborative Partnerships Drive Better Health Outcomes?
Cancer is the second major cause of death in the United States (U.S.). Every year, cancer claims the lives of more than half a million Americans. Frost & Sullivan has been researching how new technology advancement in next generation sequencing (NGS), proteomics and liquid biopsy will fuel growth in cancer screening, prognosis and therapy monitoring markets.
Our research on U.S. Oncology Diagnostics Market explores the growth opportunities; challenges in molecular and non-molecular technology segments across five different cancers namely breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. The 2016 U.S. cancer diagnostics market is valued at $1.1 billion out of a market potential of $21.6 billion. If the full market potential is exploited, the annual revenue could grow to $25 billion by 2021.
Clinicians have endorsed that screening at early detection, and therapy selection and monitoring are the short term promising applications of liquid biopsies, a non-invasive way of measuring biomarkers that can eliminate the need for biopsies where often the go-to site is a big concern. “Several diagnostic companies are expanding their product portfolio to include liquid biopsy and companion diagnostics in their long term strategy, Prominent pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson’s and their respective venture capital arm are investing heavily in liquid biopsy start ups," explains Transformational Health Principal Analyst Divyaa Ravishankar.As a result, convergence and collaboration between pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies are meant to grow significantly. With private insurance payers now covering the cost for new cancer assays that have a demonstrable economic advantage to the health continuum; the insurance market segment will continue to move to the value based reimbursement model. For this reason, many novel assays have proven to deliver cost-effective solutions to improve patient outcomes at a better healthcare economic cost. “Marketing strategies for companies such as 23andme and Provista Diagnostics receive a particular mention because they are advertising directly to consumers who in turn ask physicians to get tested with a particular company. This puts the patient as a key decision maker in the cancer care ecosystem,” adds Ravishankar.
In addition, genomics technologies are increasingly being used to understand genetic changes associated with cancer progression. The trend is supported by increasing focus on preventive and personalized healthcare approaches from healthcare providers and payers. Further, lowering cost of genome sequencing and advancements in clinical interpretation capabilities of NGS data have supported the rise of this trend. “While a number of NGS informatics companies have already made significant investments to develop focused capabilities for NGS-based oncology diagnostics assays and therapies, there are still ample opportunities in this market, especially in the clinical interpretation and reporting segment,” concludes Piyush Bansal, Transformational Health Senior Industry Analyst.
The current U.S. NGS informatics market in genomic testing companies segment is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18% during 2016-2021. Subject to some positive regulatory and technology developments, the molecular diagnostics customer segment can offer more than $150 million in revenue to the NGS informatics industry, out of which a significant part of the revenue will be contributed by oncology diagnostics tests and assays. Also, the analysis predicts a strong growth of NGS informatics solutions in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customer segment, as biopharma companies will look to increase their spend on disease research using NGS.
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