RelayMD

An online directory of medical specialists that covers 68 cities in Ontario. The team is led by doctors with a simple vision - to make referrals easy.

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@drmsgandhi This problem has been felt by physicians across Ontario. That's why we've created a database of specialists to help primary care physicians find specialists with shorter wait times, avoid declined referrals, and get their patients seen sooner.

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@IlanShahin @jmarcus_md @BShane555 @ArmineYalnizyan @ConsultLoop That being said, a referral mgmt platform is a more comprehensive solution. I just think building a list of wait times does not need to entirely rely on passively aggregated data. IMO better to have a good database today than wait for a perfect one to be funded + viable

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@IlanShahin @jmarcus_md @BShane555 @ArmineYalnizyan @ConsultLoop Apologies Ilan, meant "marginal" re building the 5k avg wait time database (not QA). 50k number is debatable but calc is based on wide scope of practice within specialty and individual pt factors that affect appt date. 1 referral is not accurate measure of avg wait - closer to 10

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@jmarcus_md @BShane555 @ArmineYalnizyan @IlanShahin @ConsultLoop Slight correction - CL collected wait times through calls initially. Updates from data contributed but marginally. To have accurate wait times for 5k docs from appointment data, you would conservatively need to handle >50k referrals per month (no platform has managed this)

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@ArmineYalnizyan @jmarcus_md @m1szt @IlanShahin @fordnation @TorontoStar Great discussion, thanks for the @. Will keep an eye out to answer more questions and provide clarification. Very exciting to see this issue being talked about critically!

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@jmarcus_md @ArmineYalnizyan @fordnation @TorontoStar We reach out to specialists to collect this info. An increasing number of specialists contact us directly as well, and we are working on a self-serve portal for this. QA happens after first round of collection to weed out inaccuracies. Very cost-efficient esp with some automation

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@jmarcus_md @m1szt @IlanShahin @ArmineYalnizyan @fordnation @TorontoStar Good point Jonathan. To leverage admin data, you either need to handle referrals on the platform or have EMR integration. Hard to manage this given incentives and stakeholders involved. However, I think our project shows that collecting data via outreach is not cost-prohibitive.

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@jmarcus_md @ArmineYalnizyan @fordnation @TorontoStar Good question! We reach out to specialists at regular intervals - frequency varies based on their wait times. Of course we have to strike a balance here, but it's important to note that specialists want to keep their info updated to avoid inappropriate referrals.

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

@IlanShahin @ArmineYalnizyan @fordnation @TorontoStar Yes, ConsultLoop was a great platform. Unfortunately the same pain points exist today, in fact much worse post-pandemic and on digital health side. I'm optimistic that govt can play a role here, as there is synergy between existing initiatives and our project

[Brenda Potter Phelan 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @SilverCompass]

On behalf of #Ontarians everywhere in this huge province, Thank you @RelayMD for your efforts and your work. How many startups will actually SAVE LIVES? Centralized wait-lists in #Ontario make good common sense. Gratitude to you for not waiting for government to figure it out.

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

RelayMD has been featured in the Toronto Star! Check us out:

"Within a year, Qamar’s team has created a resource that is, quite literally, a lifesaver. It has made clinic workflows more efficient and reduced the time patients spend in agonizing limbo."

https://t.co/korpFtYe4C

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

Totally agree. The current referral system relies on guesswork with patient lives on the line.

Our company has collected wait times and procedure info for >5000 specialists in Ontario. We are early stage, but hopeful that this can improve the lives of patients and providers!

[Raghu Venugopal MD @raghu_venugopal]

I daily refer patients to various specialists with zero idea if they are the slowest local option or not. Centralized wait-lists in Ontario make sense and should be implemented immediately. @ArmineYalnizyan @drrosezacharias @drbobbell @Dr_ChrisSimpson

https://t.co/LLtMPI0FCX

[RelayMD @RelayMD]

Did you know that medical wait times are not actively tracked in Ontario?

It’s time to modernize the Canadian healthcare system and implement data-driven care. Centralized wait-lists can improve patient access to care and reduce physician workload.

https://t.co/bQUxXMObaI

[University of Waterloo @UWaterloo]

RelayMD was one of four finalists to receive $5,000 at @UWVelocity's $5K Pitch Competition in November. This start-up is improving the specialist referral process for healthcare practitioners, leading to positive outcomes for patients.

https://t.co/VIfi35GGiF | #UWaterlooNews