About us
We want to help patients. There are numerous patients with horror stories about the care available within our country, and there are many individuals that partake in medical tourism to receive the best possible care for their illness. We want to reduce that medical disparity between our country and the wider world. Patients within Canada should be able to access the best possible care that exists. Often, patients are fighting for their lives. We want to help and give them a fighting chance. Â
Background
The healthcare system is rampant with challenges, from the emergency room to the doctor’s office. Everyone involved is doing their best to improve the lives of thousands to millions of patients in Canada. With ongoing conversations that our healthcare system is heavily strained, there needs to be pathways that allow for the adoption of proven, and better health innovations into our healthcare system. Â
Different healthcare systems have specific rules, regulations, and nuances that are not readily apparent to new market entrants. We decided to focus on Ontario, as it is the most populous Canadian province and a major health innovation hub. Furthermore, we hope to leverage the expertise within the province to connect and collaborate with stakeholders to help address the issue of startup procurement within Ontario. Â
We will create design requirements which reflect the needs that the final intervention must address to be successful. These design requirements will be created through a co-design process with stakeholders from startups, startup supporting organizations, healthcare organizations, and procurement organizations. With key players and decision makers able to ideate on the challenges of startup procurement, we hope to filter out the “wants” and hone down on underlying needs. Contact us if you are interested in having a discussion!Â
Inclusion Criteria:Â Â
- Leadership from small and medium-sized start-ups in Ontario that have a market-ready product and have passed verification and preliminary trials and testing. This includes:
- Start-ups with current or previous attempts at adoption by Ontario healthcare organizations regardless of their successÂ
- Start-ups with a medical device and/or digital health solutions
Â
- Individuals from start-up supporting organizations operating in Ontario including:
- Start-up incubators, or accelerators ex: H2I, MaRS DD, CanHealth, OBIOÂ
- Individuals from Ontario healthcare organizations involved in the procurement process:
- Procurement teams, or decision-makers at healthcare organizations such as hospitalsÂ
- Individuals from group purchasing organizations or procurement experts Â
Â
Exclusion Criteria:Â Â
- Start-ups without a market-ready product and larger well-established companies that no longer face the challenges of small or medium-sized start-ups Â
- Healthcare organizations outside of Ontario or start-ups outside of Ontario Â
- Start-ups with biotechnology and drug solutions, and consumer health products and solutions are excluded from this study.Â
Team members
TRP Supervisors
Joseph Ferenbok
Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'.
Edyta Marcon
Edyta loves to encounter new questions, apply new knowledge, and meet new people. As a Senior Research Associate at the U of T Donnelly Centre, she currently studies how RNA modifications regulate gene expression and how they relate to human health and disease. Her interests extend beyond the laboratory into the application of scientific research using human centric design thinking.
