Canadian Tech Companies Pull Together for First Nations Virtual Health Care

VANCOUVER, Sept. 24, 2020 /CNW/ - WelTel Health (WelTel) and Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc. (MIS) announced today that they have formed a Partnership to advance patient engagement and virtual healthcare solutions in support of improved communication between local First Nations community care providers and their patients. 

WelTel is a pioneering, two-way texting and mobile communications platform that facilitates efficient communication between care providers and their patients. WelTel leverages SMS as its core communication to ensure greater access and reach: patients enrolled in WelTel require only a basic phone and do not need a data plan or internet.  As a clinically proven patient-centred outreach and engagement solution,  WelTel enables care providers to monitor and triage targeted patient groups to deliver timely, quality care and improve health outcomes.

"We are excited to be partnering with an Indigenous company and have seen through years of research and engagement that WelTel has tremendous potential to benefit First Nations community health," said Dr. Richard Lester, co-founder of WelTel and an infectious diseases specialist with Vancouver Coastal Health. "Mobile technology, in particular SMS-texting, is more commonly available and affordable for patients. WelTel was developed using a holistic population-engagement approach that is consistent with my understanding of First Nations community-based service approaches."

MIS and WelTel Health are made-in-B.C. companies that have demonstrated notable successes in their respective fields.  Starting this Fall, they will be working together to bring the WelTel solution to health clinics in First Nations communities across Canada. 

"MIS is  honoured to announce this partnership with WelTel Health.  I believe it will help put the right tools in the right hands to positively impact health services and health status outcomes for communities," said Mark Sommerfeld, Chief Executive Officer of MIS.  "Our two companies are aligned in terms of values and approach, and share a common belief that technology design needs to be inclusive to ensure that no person is left behind."

The WelTel Solution has been clinically validated by numerous health research studies and has been deployed internationally in a number of rural and urban settings.  It is being used in Rwanda and Uganda for COVID-19 patient support and tracking and has been recognized in Canada as having tremendous potential to support those who are self-quarantining for COVID-19.  

Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc.

Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc. is a leader in Indigenous health, child and family services, and patient access.  MIS solutions are the leading tools of choice for Indigenous health and human service organizations across Canada. Our tools are recognized for their ability to provide a balance of standardized digital health functionality as well as support the unique functional and cultural requirements of Indigenous services and their approaches to wellness for the communities they serve.   Our customer intimacy,  traditional values-driven business approach, and our ability to technically integrate a broader care model inclusive of federal and provincial health care partners  allows us to meaningfully support our Indigenous customers nationally.    

WelTel Health 

WelTel is a virtual healthcare and patient engagement platform that helps ensure everyone has access to the care they need, when they need it, using their mobile phone. WelTel's 2-way SMS texting technology enhances caregiver-patient communication, improves adherence to treatment plans, and reduces ER visits and hospital readmissions. Originally developed for use in remote or marginalized communities, today WelTel is deployed around the world in a variety of settings ranging from mental health to pediatric cardiology to general practice, and more recently on the front lines of COVID-19 contact support and case management. WelTel's robust, clinically-proven technology is easy to use for practitioners and patients, and it works with basic cellular phones without internet connections or data plans. No downloads, no apps tracking your every move. Discrete, efficient and effective — WelTel enables data-informed decision-making that builds stronger, healthier communities where no one is left behind.

SOURCE Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc.