W21C Research and Innovation Centre | Annual Report 2021 - 2022

W21C Research and
Innovation Centre
Annual Report
2021-2022
MAKING CARE BETTER

Contents
2 Message from the Directors
3 About W21C
4 Year in Review:
Impact Metrics
Thank You
4 W21C Leadership — Looking Forward
PATIENT SAFETY AND ACCESS TO CARE
5 Experts document how our health care system transformed in response to the
accidental deaths of two patients
6 Research looks to improve access to stroke care
6 Canada-wide study examines seniors and their recovery following major surgery
Message
from the Directors
Jill de Grood (left) and Dr. Jaime Kaufman. Photo: Alex Baron
MEETING THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES
7 Researchers collaborate with the City of Calgary to understand mask
wearing behaviours
8 Understanding the community supports and service landscape for Vietnamese
women in Calgary
8 Evaluating the use of human centered design in community service delivery
REPRESENTATION OF DIVERSE PATIENT POPULATIONS IN RESEARCH
9 The impact of clinical trials for people suffering from rare blood diseases
SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS IN THEIR COMMERCIALIZATION JOURNEY
12 SPARK Calgary helps digital health innovators take that next step
14 Using a digital survey tool to support physician’s efforts towards patient-centred care
15 What digital health products need to succeed in the marketplace
16 CAN Health Network and W21C Research and Innovation Centre partner to
support innovators
17 Innovation Academy platform timeline
It has been another incredible year, full of adaptation, and
at times surprises. Our interdisciplinary team continues to
be the best part of W21C. We have been pushed in new
directions, empowered to apply new methodologies and
approaches to our projects, and have continued to learn
something new every day.
As a centre, we remain responsive to pressing health
challenges while continuing to foster an approach that
supports our team during uncertain times. We have spent
a lot of time reflecting on what health services research
means and how we can better support all members of
our community. Making care better is at the very core of
what we do, but we must ensure that we are making care
better for every member of our society. Examples like the
COVID-19 pandemic show us how far we have to go.
We need to ensure that we are deeply embedding the
foundations of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in all
that we do - from how we embody and live our values;
how we think about and execute projects; and how we
engage with innovators, patients, families, care providers,
and communities. This is critical and something we are
proud to bring to the thriving and growing innovation
and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Our centre is working hard to embed and integrate EDI
in our research and practice; supporting projects that
are focused more on social determinants of health,
broadening our partnerships, and reflecting on the way
we work with and support our team. We are focused
on advancing our understanding of EDI through team
participation in workshops and engaging community
researchers on topics related to EDI through interactive
presentations at team meetings. This foundational
knowledge enables our team and partners to build a
dynamic and inclusive EDI policy for our centre — one
that will set the standard for our program and the
partners we work with.
We are so proud of the work we are doing in this area
and the engagement and initiative demonstrated by our
amazing team that embodies these principles. Our team
is focused on fostering an entrepreneurial spirit while
working towards making care better for each and every
member of our community. It is a tremendous privilege
to be a part of such a remarkable team.
Jill de Grood, MA PMP (she/her)
Director, Development and Partnerships
Dr. Jaime Kaufman, PhD (she/her)
Director, Research and Innovation
1 W21C Research and Innovation Centre
Annual Report 2021–2022
2

About
W21C
Who we are
The W21C Research and Innovation Centre (W21C) is based in the University of Calgary’s
O’Brien Institute for Public Health, and the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services.
What we do
W21C aims to improve the health system by bringing new ideas, prototypes, and products
into health care for testing and evaluation. W21C’s interdisciplinary research team provides
evidence, feedback, and validation services.
Together we are making care better.
Year In Review
IMPACT
METRICS
April 1, 2021 –
March 31, 2022
43
Connections with
companies looking to
explore W21C services
11
New prototypes
for clinical evaluation
$992,332
Generated from external
grants and industry
sponsored funding
84
Active
research projects
12
New jobs created
within W21C
15
Ongoing clinical trials
(5 activated this year)
16
COVID-19
projects
46
University academic
faculty and/or alumni
associated with
research projects
W21C Program Sustainability
W21C acts as a research consultancy, supporting innovators from the health system,
academia, industry, public sector, and community. W21C receives funding from a
variety of provincial, national, and international funding bodies, peer-reviewed granting
agencies, corporate donors, and industry partners. This funding enables W21C to provide
high quality research expertise and infrastructure on a cost-recovery basis, allowing
us to deliver evaluation and validation services to support the advancement of health
innovation.
THANK YOU
The work W21C does would not be possible without our team, funders, partners, and
academic faculty conducting health systems research and innovation. Further, many
of W21C’s projects would not be possible without the support of individuals working
on the front lines of patient care. Despite the challenges created by the COVID-19
pandemic, these leaders continue to dedicate time to helping advance health system
innovation. They not only support our centre in evaluating innovations, but they also
identify gaps and opportunities within our health care system and partner with us to
explore solutions.
This past year was the third and final year of our Prairies Economic Development Canada
— Regional Innovation Ecosystems Program funding. This funding enabled W21C to better
support digital health innovators, address gaps in the innovation ecosystem, and provide
innovators with access to training, evaluation services, and expertise they need to advance
on their journey.
Overall, the diverse funding we receive has strengthened our reputation as a trusted and
impartial centre that generates evidence to advance health system innovation and make
care better.
In the spirit of reconciliation, W21C has the privilege to be located on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot
Confederacy, comprising the Siksiká, Piikáni, and Káínai First Nations; the Stoney Nakoda, including the Chiniki,
Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations; and the Tsúut’íná First Nation. Southern Alberta is also home to the Métis Nation
of Alberta, Region III. W21C acknowledges all Nations — Indigenous and non — who honor and celebrate this
treaty 7 region of southern Alberta.
W21C Leadership
LOOKING
FORWARD
W21C is pleased to welcome Dr. Mary Brindle, MD, MPH, FRCSC,
as our new Academic Director effective August 1, 2022. Dr. Brindle
will look to develop and execute the academic priorities for W21C in the
areas of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the University of Calgary. This
will include raising awareness of W21C, as well as finding and extending opportunities for
health research and innovation on campus — and beyond.
Dr. Brindle is a pediatric surgeon at Alberta Children’s Hospital and professor of Surgery
and Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of
Calgary. She is the director of Safe Surgery and Safe Systems Program at Ariadne Labs.
She leads international work to optimize the performance of the WHO Surgical Safety
Checklist. Dr. Brindle is a member of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
Society Executive where she has taken on the role of the secretary of the Society and
has led the establishment of standards for ERAS guideline creation. Dr. Brindle has a
long history of collaborating with W21C throughout the development of her Efficiency,
Quality, Innovation and Safety (EQuIS) research platform.
3 W21C Research and Innovation Centre
Annual Report 2021–2022
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Dr. Jan Davies, MD (left), Carmella Steinke and Dr. Ward Flemons, MD. Photo: Julia MacGregor.
Experts document how our health care
system transformed in response to the
accidental deaths of two patients
KYLE MARR
Inspired to share the lessons from a medical drug mixup
that resulted in tragedy, three UCalgary professors
collaborated on a book examining what went wrong and
how the tragedy sparked a transformation in the years
that followed.
Fatal Solution: How a Healthcare System Used Tragedy to
Transform Itself and Redefine Just Culture highlights the
story of two critically ill patients who were accidentally
exposed to an incorrect dialysate solution compounded
in Calgary in 2004 and the aftermath that led to changes
in the health care system.
“It’s important to keep the memory and the lessons
learned alive following such a tragedy,” says Dr. Jan
Davies, MD, a Cumming School of Medicine (CSM)
professor, W21C affiliate, and patient safety expert.
“We’ve tried to put those lessons into a book about how
organizations respond in the wake of tragedy, about the
transformation that occurs.”
The patients, who had suffered acute kidney failure,
were dialyzed with a solution containing potassium
chloride instead of sodium chloride. Potassium chloride
is lethal when the level in the body increases rapidly;
sodium chloride is commonly administered to patients
intravenously to treat fluid loss or increase salt levels.
Davies, along with her co-authors, Dr. Ward Flemons,
MD, a professor in the Department of Medicine and
W21C affiliate, and Carmella Steinke, an adjunct lecturer
in the Department of Medicine, played a central role
in the years that followed the tragedy, helping to lead
organizational transformation in the former Calgary
Health Region. All three used the lessons learned for
courses they developed on patient safety, particularly for
courses that taught about investigations into healthcare
events like this.
“We believe it’s important to talk about an event
that cannot be forgotten or hidden. That people are
ultimately better served by seeking the lessons from
past mistakes,” says Flemons.
He says this includes ensuring that blame is not
transferred to individuals but rather, after thorough
investigation, necessary shifts in culture occur that
enhance safety; that organizations reach out to families
to grieve together and offer opportunities to participate
in the organization’s process of improvement; and
those individuals involved in the specific incident
are supported through any guilt or shame they may
experience in the aftermath.
Research looks to
improve access to
stroke care
It is estimated that strokes affect
about 16 million people and kill an
estimated 5.7 million globally each
year. Strokes disproportionally affect
people living in countries with limited
access to health resources. Research
into procedures that treat stroke is
becoming more important as this
disease continues to intensify.
Previous research has identified
mechanical thrombectomy (MT),
a procedure in which specialized
equipment is used to remove a
clot from a person’s artery, as
the most effective treatment for
strokes caused by large vessel
occlusion. However, stroke is a very
time-sensitive disease, and the MT
Canada-wide study
examines seniors
and their recovery
following major
surgery
As we age it can take longer for
our bodies to heal from trauma.
As many as 40% of patients that
undergo surgery will have major
complications that lead to longterm
health problems, such as heart
disease or stroke. This is especially
true for adults over the age of 65
following a major surgery, with many
experiencing difficulties in returning
to their pre-operation levels of
function. Led by Dr. Duminda
Wijeysundera, MD, at the University of
Toronto, the Functional Improvement
Trajectories After Surgery (FIT After
Surgery) study aims to gain a better
understanding of how often and why
some patients experience significant
disability after surgery.
As one of 14 study sites across
Canada, W21C is currently
working with the Calgary site lead,
procedure is most successful within
the first six hours. Patients who do
not get an appropriate diagnosis
and treatment quickly risk suffering
permanent disability or death.
Researchers at the University of
Calgary are collaborating with
The Society of Vascular and
Interventional Neurology (SVIN)
Mission Thrombectomy (MT2020)
on a global campaign that aims to
accelerate access to MT surgery
worldwide. Dr. Bijoy Menon, MD,
associate professor, Department of
Neurosciences, University of Calgary,
and Dr. Aravind Ganesh, MD, clinical
research fellow, Department of
Clinical Neurosciences, University
of Calgary looked to develop
a ‘MT score’, with the hopes of
enhancing wider access to this
necessary care.
Dr. Melinda Davis, MD, director of
Master Teaching Program, clinical
associate professor, Cumming School
of Medicine, on recruitment efforts at
the Foothills Medical Centre, actively
engaging with patients prior to their
surgery. Patient recruitment for the
Calgary site began in July 2021 and
is ongoing. While it is too early to
draw any conclusions from the study,
researchers are excited about the
possibilities this work could reveal,
especially as Canada’s population
continues to age and the likelihood
This score will be applied to
countries, giving MT2020 researchers
an idea on each nation’s access to
emergency MT. To generate the
score, W21C researchers aided the
project through a systematic and
mixed methods approach. After a
literature scan was conducted, data
was extracted and later analyzed
using a Modified Delphi approach.
The project was able to identify 26
attributes that prohibited emergency
MT, including barriers to information
and diagnosis, physical factors, and
lack of financial resources.
This is the first time MT2020 has
attempted to measure access to
MT treatment globally and the
use of the MT score will hopefully
improve access to stroke care and
outcomes by providing a stronger
understanding of inhibiting factors.
of more seniors needing major
surgery every year is increasing.
Having a better understanding of
when and why patients experience
disability after surgery will enable
patients to make better-informed
decisions about having surgery
and allow physicians to identify
patients that may need additional
support following surgery. Overall
recruitment and follow up for the
study is expected to finish in 2023,
with preliminary results anticipated
in early 2024.
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W21C Research and Innovation Centre Patient Safety and Access to Care
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Understanding the community supports and service landscape
for Vietnamese women in Calgary
With funding from Women and
Gender Equality Canada, W21C is
working in partnership with the
Calgary Vietnamese Women’s
Association (CAVWA) to understand
the health and wellness support
landscape for women within the
Vietnamese community in Calgary.
While community supports and
services are critical for the health
and wellness of overall communities,
the COVID-19 pandemic has
exacerbated an already large
disparity in availability and access of
these supports in marginalized and
racialized communities. The study,
led by Dr. Tanvir Turin Chowdhury,
PhD, associate professor, Department
of Community Health Sciences,
aims to explore the current state
of health and wellness services and
unmet needs within this vibrant
community, and at the same time
better understand the impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic on the
community’s ability to access and
benefit from supports.
Using a Participatory Action
Research (PAR) approach with
CAVWA as research partners,
this study is being conducted
through three phases: 1) assessing
the current state of unmet health
and wellness needs; 2) scanning
what is currently available in
health and wellness supports
for Calgary Vietnamese women;
and 3) creating a comprehensive
knowledge translation strategy to
equitably share research findings to
stakeholders, including Vietnamese
community members.
CAVWA hopes to use the findings
of this study to pursue policy
changes within their community and
make research findings available to
stakeholders and other researchers
who wish to partner on research to
address important issues within the
Vietnamese community.
Researchers collaborate with the City of Calgary
to understand mask wearing behaviours
JULIA MACGREGOR
Mask wearing during any point
of the pandemic has been a
polarizing topic. Despite public
support shared through a city
poll, when the City of Calgary
instated a face covering bylaw
in September 2021, a rise in antimask
rallies and protests followed.
With funding from the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research
Council (SSHRC) Partnership
Engage COVID-19 Special Initiative,
University of Calgary researchers
partnered with the city to conduct
a study to better understand what
motivates individuals to wear or not
wear a mask, and how to develop
interventions for those who decline
mask usage. The W21C research
team supported the project leads
Dr. Katrina Milaney, PhD, associate
professor, Department of Community
Health Sciences and Dr. John Ellard,
PhD, associate professor, Department
of Psychology with the development,
launch, and analysis of a survey for
the study. With a goal of hearing
from 500 City of Calgary residents,
the research team undertook
significant efforts to ensure a diverse
representation of Calgarians over
the age of 18 took part, including
promotion through media outlets,
social media platforms, and
community groups. The survey
was open from May to July 2021
and despite being targeted by bot
attacks, it had a huge response,
receiving over 2500 valid responses.
Results from the survey showed
that the majority of respondents
approved of wearing masks, and
the difference of opinion stemmed
from where respondents receive
their information. Intention to wear
masks was correlated with attitudes
around protecting oneself, family and
friends, and community members.
Perceptions around harm stemming
from contracting COVID-19 was
also correlated with intentions
around masking.
While the city mask mandate was
lifted in line with provincial measures
on March 1, 2022, the results of the
survey could help inform future
public health policy decision-making
and be used to develop more
targeted communication strategies.
Evaluating the use
of human centered
design in community
service delivery
Chrysalis is an Alberta society for
citizens with disabilities that aims to
improve the citizen’s quality of life.
The society provides personalized
services to empower individuals
with disabilities to accomplish
their employment, volunteer, and
recreational goals.
With the goal of re-thinking how
they deliver services, Chrysalis
incorporated a Human Centered
Design (HCD) model prototype
into their service offering. The
HCD approach features a problemsolving
process in which Chrysalis
clients and their social networks
can collaborate with staff members
to co-create solutions that are
tailored to the client’s personal and
unique needs and aspirations. In
partnership with Chrysalis, W21C
is leading a process-outcome
evaluation focused on the HCD
implementation. Chrysalis clients,
their families, and Chrysalis staff
and leadership, are participating
in the research activities and
providing their voices to impact the
services they receive.
The results of the evaluation, led by
Dr. Chad Saunders, PhD, associate
professor, Haskayne School of
Business and W21C affiliate, will
examine if the use of the HCD model
and its implementation improved
Chrysalis’ overall service. This
will help inform decision making
within Chrysalis around program
approaches and may be used to
inform best practice moving forward
for other organizations providing
services to adults with disabilities.
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W21C Research and Innovation Centre Meeting the Needs of Communities
Annual Report 2021–2022
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The impact of clinical trials
for people suffering from
rare blood diseases
ALEX BARON
Imagine what it must feel like to live with a rare
disease that is debilitating and possibly life
threatening. Your experience is unique, and you
face hardships that few can even relate to.
W21C has had the privilege to support three rare
blood disorder clinical trials. These trials serve
underrepresented populations; groups of people that
have historically had reduced access to treatments
because the diseases themselves are so rare.
ENERGIZE-T
Thalassemia is a hereditary blood
disorder in which the body does not
produce enough normal, healthy red
blood cells. This leads to patients
constantly feeling fatigued and weak.
The current treatment is for the
patient to receive blood transfusions
to replenish their body with healthy
red blood cells. With the goal of
identifying better treatment options
for these patients, ENERGIZE-T is
a randomized, placebo-controlled
study looking at the efficacy of the
drug mitapivat in participants with
transfusion-dependent thalassemia.
“By the time they are 6-12 months
old, patients with thalassemia-major
become dependent on transfusions,”
says Dr. Natalia Rydz, MD, clinical
associate professor, Cumming
School of Medicine, and the principal
investigator in Calgary for this
worldwide study.
“Transfusions carry a large disease
burden, with patients coming into
a medical facility every 2-4 weeks
depending on the individual. The
process usually takes up their entire
day, which means that the patient
will miss a full day of work or school
to get these necessary transfusions.”
People with thalassemia also suffer
from too much iron in their bodies,
either from the disease or from
the frequent blood transfusions.
Too much iron can result in chronic
organ damage to the heart,
liver, and endocrine system, and
potentially lead to other conditions
such as diabetes.
In Calgary, there are only a couple
dozen patients with transfusiondependent
thalassemia. Two
participants have been randomized
into the trial with another three
beginning the screening process.
“It is really exciting to see that
roughly 20% of the local population
is interested in enrolling in this
study,” says Dr. Rydz. “This
illustrates how little research has
been done in this area previously,
but also the interest the patients
have in this particular treatment.
Our patients have been waiting for
something to come along to make
their lives easier.”
The study drug, mitapivat, is a
chemical that attaches to a specific
protein that may give red blood cells
more energy. This will hopefully help
the red blood cells live longer and
decrease the frequency of red cell
transfusions. Mitapivat is considered
to be more patient friendly because
it is an oral medication versus other
leading treatments that need to be
injected in a medical facility only.
“When working on a rare disease
with a small population, it would be
impossible to run a study like this
without the support of W21C and
the Clinical Research Unit in the
Cumming School of Medicine,” says
Dr. Rydz. “Having the support from
experienced clinical trial individuals
in these departments is very critical.”
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W21C Research and Innovation Centre Representation of diverse patient populations in research
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“HAE is a huge burden to both the patient and
their family, but also the healthcare system,” says
Dr. Goodyear. “Being able to participate in clinical trials
and using resources such as W21C are very important
in helping find solutions to alleviate these burdens.”
EMPOWER
Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is rare disorder
characterized by recurrent episodes of severe and
painful swelling at various sites on the body, most
commonly involving the upper respiratory and
gastrointestinal systems. The swelling is caused by the
accumulation of fluids outside of the blood vessels,
blocking the normal flow of blood.
The EMPOWER study is a three-year, observational
study of patients with HAE in both the United States
and Canada with the goal of finding a more effective
treatment for HAE patients and improving their quality
of life. The study is examining how effective the drug
lanadelumab is at preventing HAE attacks and if
there is an improvement in the patient’s quality of life
while undergoing treatment. An early advantage of
lanadelumab is that it needs to be taken once every
couple of weeks versus current HAE treatments that
are required to be taken every couple days.
“When a swelling attack hits, it has a significant
negative impact on a patient’s health-related quality
of life,” says Dr. Dawn Goodyear, MD, clinical associate
professor, Cumming School of Medicine. “HAE patients
suffering from attacks frequently have to take time
off work or do not feel well enough to take part in
activities around the home such as playing with their
children. Because it is a genetic disorder some patients
prefer not having children altogether to avoid passing
along the disease.”
Anything can trigger an attack including stress, infections,
certain medications, and even something as common as a
dental cleaning or a cold. Because the severity, frequency,
and location of HAE attacks are difficult to predict, it
can make treating them challenging. HAE patients have
an average of 30 attacks a year and each can last from
3-5 days, highlighting the importance of therapies which
prevent attacks. Attacks resulting in swelling in the upper
airway can result in severe life-threatening symptoms
unless the right treatment is given.
The goal of HAE treatment is to enable patients to
live a normal life by reducing the number and severity
of HAE attacks. Current therapy for HAE consists of
treatment of acute attacks, as well as short-term and
long-term preventive treatment.
In Calgary, the W21C research team has recruited three
participants who record their HAE attacks in a diary
using an app on their phone. “The patients currently in
the study are approaching 18 months with the treatment
and have all been showing good responses since
being on lanadelumab,” notes Dr. Goodyear. “Study
participants describe this therapy as life changing.”
CHANGING A SINGLE PATIENT’S WORLD
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a
life-threatening rare blood disease that is acquired
by an injury to a bone marrow stem cell. PNH occurs
when a gene required for producing normal blood
cells becomes mutated and a resulting clone produces
defective blood cells. These defective cells are missing
a protein that protects them from a part of the body’s
immune system called the complement system. This
makes them vulnerable for destruction.
For patients living with PNH, the effects can be
physically, mentally, and emotionally devastating. Up until
about 12 years ago, there were no treatments for PNH
aside from steroids, which were not terribly effective,
and stem cell transplants. In 2009, the drug eculizumab
became available in Canada and changed PNH from a
deadly disease to a manageable chronic condition.
“While the vast majority of PNH patients benefit from
eculizumab, there are some who do not respond,”
notes Dr. Jennifer Grossman, MD, clinical assistant
professor, Cumming School of Medicine. “We became
involved with a clinical trial for a new medication,
pegcetacoplan, after one of our local patients had no
response to eculizumab.”
The overall goal of this trial, which is being led by
Dr. Grossman as the primary investigator, is to evaluate
the long-term safety and efficacy of pegcetacoplan,
which requires self-administered injections twice a
week by the participant.
The participant started the clinical trial in Edmonton,
but with the support of W21C, a trial site in Calgary
was activated allowing treatment to be administered
closer to home. The participant has now been taking
pegcetacoplan for three years and Dr. Grossman notes
that she has had an excellent response and now leads a
mostly normal life.
“She is able to have a full-time job, travel, and pursues
her hobbies. This positive change in her life was made
possible by W21C.”
8 Bit Cortex team: Araz Minhas (left), Ty McKinney, and Shannon Snaden. Photo: David Kim.
SPARK Calgary: helping digital
health innovators take that next step
JULIA MACGREGOR
Academics understand that their
evidenced-based concepts or
research results could be impactful
outside of the laboratory. But taking
the next step to turn those results
into a minimum viable product (MVP)
can seem daunting without proper
support. Who do you talk to? How do
you fund this? Where do you go next?
The University of Calgary’s W21C
Research and Innovation Centre
launched SPARK Calgary in 2020 to
tackle these questions for campus
and community innovators working
to advance evidenced-based digital
health innovations.
SPARK Calgary is part of the SPARK
global network, consisting of 60
academic institutions across six
continents. Launched in 2006 at
Stanford University, the SPARK
model provides the education and
mentorship necessary to advance
research discoveries from the bench
to the bedside.
“SPARK Calgary is focused on digital
health technologies that have the
potential to truly make care better
in clinical and community settings,”
says Dr. Scott Kraft, MD, director of
SPARK Calgary and clinical associate
professor in the Cumming School
of Medicine (CSM). “The program is
ideally situated in W21C to support
academics within the university in
moving their innovations from an
idea into a reality.”
The SPARK Calgary program
facilitates connections to industry
experts and digital health advisers,
as well as granting opportunities. The
program also provides education,
project management support, and
access to resources to help advance
each team’s innovation.
MONITORING OF
MOTOR FUNCTION IN
STROKE (MOUNT)
The Calgary Stroke Program’s Craig
Doram and Dr. Mohammed Almekhlafi,
MD, associate professor, CSM, were
part of the second SPARK Calgary
cohort with their Monitoring of
Motor Function in Stroke (MOUNT)
clinical trial, which is focused on
faster identification and treatment of
stroke without increasing the demand
for skilled bedside assessments.
MOUNT has been collecting interface
pressure and motion tracking data
of hospitalized stroke patients and is
collaborating with graduate students
in the Schulich School of Engineering’s
Biometrics Technology Laboratory
to develop initial machine learning
algorithms. After seeing the promising
results of the trial, they knew this
opportunity had commercial potential
and applied to SPARK Calgary.
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W21C Research and Innovation Centre Representation of diverse patient populations in research
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“SPARK has opened doors and
provided resources for us that we
didn’t anticipate,” says Doram.
“Through the program, we were
connected in with Innovate Calgary’s
Expert Adviser program, which has
been immensely valuable to help us
transition from a clinical idea to a
commercial opportunity.”
Since joining the SPARK program in
March 2021, Doram and Almekhlafi
have been developing an MVP and
have incorporated a company under
the name StrokeAI to expand the
clinical application into wearables for
stroke monitoring at home. They were
also accepted into Innovate Calgary’s
Life Sciences Fellowship Program.
8 BIT CORTEX
Dr. Ty McKinney, PhD, understood
during his graduate studies that
psychological assessment using
brain wave technology and
smartphones could be used to
better understand some of the
mental health challenges people are
facing. This planted the seed for him
to develop 8 Bit Cortex, a gamified
mental health assessment tool.
After attempting to build the app
in grad school, McKinney, who is
the research director for the Branch
Out Neurological Foundation,
SPARK Metrics
(From program inception to March 2022)
found business partner Shannon
Snaden. The pair then found two
full stack developers, including CSM
undergraduate student Araz Minhas,
and additional university student
volunteers to help make McKinney’s
idea a reality.
The team joined SPARK in March
2021 and are staying on for a second
term. They have taken full advantage
of the mentorship, support, and
education programs provided, in
addition to the project accountability
they have been held to on their
innovation journey.
“You want to be supported, but
people also need to be held
accountable. It is the unique
combination of those things that
promotes growth and success,” says
McKinney. “SPARK has done a great
job of providing both of those for us.”
ADVICE FOR OTHER
ACADEMIC INNOVATORS
Since starting on their paths to
commercialization, SPARK Calgary
teams have progressed through
different stages on their innovation
journeys. For other academic
innovators considering taking their
first steps to develop an MVP,
McKinney says, “You are more
prepared than you think, you need
93%
participant
satisfaction
4
patents
filed
14
projects
engaged
to take a leap of faith and things will
work out.”
“Reach out to a lot of people,
cast a very large net, and don’t be
afraid to start talking with people,”
advises Doram. “There is a ton of
expertise in the university looking at
technology in health care, but you
also need to prepare for a longer
ride than you anticipated.”
“There are many resources within the
University of Calgary and the city like
W21C, Innovate Calgary, and Platform
Calgary available for you to go and
talk to people and explore your
ideas,” adds Almekhlafi.
W21C’s ability to foster connections
with university, community, and
industry partners has been an
immense benefit to SPARK Calgary
teams. W21C provides in-kind
research services such human factors
evaluations to SPARK Calgary teams.
In some cases, W21C may also be
able to lend equipment to meet
innovators’ needs. For example,
W21C provided the pressure mattress
sensing systems used in a previous
study to aid in the MOUNT clinical trial.
SPARK Calgary is currently
overseeing its third cohort of five
teams in partnership with W21C and
Innovate Calgary.
1
company
incorporated
3
cohorts
launched
5
prototypes
developed
66
team members
engaged
1
entrance into the
Life Sciences Fellowship
$352,839
in funding received
by teams
Using a digital survey
tool to support physician’s
efforts towards patientcentred
care
ALEX BARON
Efforts to make the health care environment more
responsive to the needs, preferences, goals, and values
of patients has become a top priority for health systems
and providers. Also known as patient-centred care, these
efforts are most likely to succeed if they are based on a
clear understanding of the full range of factors that either
promote or impede this type of care.
Patient-reported experience and outcome measures
(PREMs and PROMs, respectively) are increasingly being
used to understand these factors in clinical management
settings. These tools are intended to promote positive
improvements in health, quality of life, and patient
experience, which may help providers facilitate more
patient-centred discussions and care plans.
However, PROMs and PREMs are often collected through
telephone and paper-based surveys, simple methods that
don’t allow for the quick dissemination of patient results.
This is a missed opportunity, as the provided date is not
adequately accessible for physicians. Digitizing these
surveys and providing clinicians with an intuitive and
automatic summary of the results has the potential to
improve the patient’s experience by relaying actionable
information to their care providers more quickly.
With that in mind, Dr. Tolulope Sajobi, PhD, associate
professor of Biostatistics, Department of Community
Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, and
Dr. Stephen Wilton, associate professor, Cardiac Sciences,
Cumming School of Medicine, partnered with Cohesic
Inc. and the University of Calgary’s Clinical Research
Unit to develop the e-PROM tool, an electronic system
for the routine collection of PROMs from patients and
the subsequent delivery of the summarized PROMs
information to clinicians to further inform patientphysician
discussions and decision making. With funding
from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s
Catalyst Grant for Patient Oriented Research, they then
approached the W21C human factors team to conduct
usability evaluations on both the patient and physicianfacing
components of this tool.
Patient feedback on using the tool was largely positive
and they described it as “straightforward” and “easy to
do”. Several participants appreciated the thoroughness
of the survey, and in particular the inclusion of emotionrelated
questions. Participants also wanted to highlight
that if the tool was put into practice, something would
be done with their responses and that they were not
completing the survey without a purpose.
Physician participants were presented with a mock
report populated with the health information of fictional
patients. The response to the mock reports was
overwhelmingly positive. It was noted that the report
provided the physician with an objective assessment of
the patient, particularly for more subjective symptoms,
such as a patient’s emotional state. It also allowed for the
physician to get a quick snapshot of a patient’s current
condition, which would be helpful to view just before
meeting with the patient. Participating physicians did
raise concerns about not relying on this data exclusively
and noted that not all patients would feel comfortable
sharing information about their health in this manner.
However, for those patients that would feel comfortable
with survey-based health information sharing, physicians
felt that this digital tool could be a very helpful solution
to assist them in providing better patient-centred care.
Results from the study are being used by the development
team to revise the tool and create training materials for
users. The tool will then be evaluated in a pragmatic
cluster randomized control trial to evaluate its
effectiveness in improving patient’s experience with care,
physician-patient shared decision-making, and other
patient-reported outcomes in routine care.
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What digital health products
need to succeed in the marketplace
JULIA MACGREGOR
The innovation pathway is complicated, and increasingly
so within the life sciences industry. Companies are faced
with challenges navigating product development, market
fit, regulatory compliance, and business readiness.
Through the Health Innovation Platform Partnerships
(HIPP) opportunity, Alberta Innovates funded 11 proof-ofconcept
platforms from across the province to support a
coordinated health innovation ecosystem. These platforms
focused on building digital health-related products and
services to help clients across Alberta and beyond.
Digital health is a priority area for Alberta and W21C.
Health care expenditures are becoming increasingly
unsustainable, and with a growing aging population,
higher prevalence of chronic disease, and the need
for multidisciplinary care, validated digital health
technologies allow for the delivery of more effective and
patient-centred care. This includes digital health products
like connected devices, immersive and simulation
technologies, and wearables.
W21C’s HIPP proof-of-concept leveraged the centre’s
previous experience working with health innovators —
academics, start-up companies, industry, and public
sector partners. W21C conducted a study led by Dr. Chad
Saunders, PhD, associate professor, Haskayne School of
Business and W21C affiliate, with digital health ecosystem
stakeholders to better understand the opportunities, gaps,
and challenges for digital health innovators in Alberta.
Through 36 semi-structured interviews and a province
wide survey with innovation support providers, innovators,
health system representatives, funders and investors, the
study found that digital health innovators struggle with:
1. Accessing real problems and relevant data. Having
a better understanding of priority clinical needs as
well as the current products and procedures being
utilized by health systems is essential for companies
and health systems alike. Health systems want
to work with companies that are addressing real
challenges and companies have a higher likelihood
of success if they are solving health system needs.
Further, navigating data access, ethical, and privacy
concerns around data are difficult and better access
to health and administrative data would be useful
in helping companies refine their digital health
innovations and work through these challenges.
2. Understanding their innovation journey. Identifying
the right partners and steps on their innovation
journey was a common challenge. Better resources
aiding with common problems such as obtaining
funding and talent as well as better coordination
between ecosystem support partners would help
accelerate innovation.
3. Finding appropriate training options. While
innovators’ training needs are ubiquitous and diverse,
there are considerable options available in the
province for training that many companies are not
aware of. This highlights the need for a customized
referral process and improved collaboration between
existing training providers.
4. Evaluating their innovations in a real-world
setting. Innovators face confusion with navigating
the validation requirements needed to move into
a clinical setting. Better understanding of these
requirements and easier access to appropriate
evaluation service providers and clinical settings
would be beneficial.
5. Understanding how to commercialize their solution.
Innovators experience difficulties with understanding
and designing cost models and health care provider
remuneration for their innovation across different
jurisdictions. A better understanding of how a health
innovation can be commercialized within current
funding and payment structures is a critical enabler
to the adoption of novel technologies.
Results from this study emphasize key needs of the
digital health ecosystem in Alberta. W21C is working
with partners and funders to identify where support
efforts can be developed or enhanced to target these
specific challenges. Working collaboratively to solve
these challenges provides digital health innovators the
best opportunity for success as they advance along their
innovation journey.
CAN Health Network and W21C Research and Innovation Centre
partner to support innovators
The Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health
Network established a formal partnership with W21C
to introduce more homegrown technology solutions
into Canada’s health care sector, while assisting an even
greater number of companies on their journeys to scale.
Like the CAN Health Network, W21C works directly
with academia, government, and industry partners to
bring pivotal ideas into Canada’s health care industry
by helping companies navigate product development,
market fit, and scalability.
“We’re both after the same goal and the same future for
Canada,” says Dr. Dante Morra, MD, chair, CAN Health
Network. “Joining forces and combining our resources
means that we’ll reach this goal more rapidly than before.”
“W21C is doing incredible work that is not only changing
the lives of patients but is also helping our entrepreneurs
develop and scale first class solutions here at home.,”
continues Morra.
“A primary aim for the University of Calgary through
the growth through focus plan is to increase innovation
to tackle challenging problems, and the CAN Health
Network will help us do this,” says Dr. Tom Stelfox, MD,
PhD, scientific director of the O’Brien Institute. “This
new partnership with W21C will bring in additional
support needed to address the challenges facing our
health systems.”
W21C is excited to be part of a network that is driving
changes to our health systems with tangible outcomes
and looks forward to creating new connections and
collaborations with innovators across Canada to make care
better for our communities.
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History of the W21C Innovation Academy
The Innovation Academy platform provides academics, entrepreneurs, and health care professionals at any
level with the support and incentive to identify, nurture, and pioneer innovations in the health system. These
events involve scientific and business pitch competitions that provide funding, international recognition, and
networking opportunities to their winners. W21C has been a foundational and active partner supporting
innovation on the frontlines of health care as part of this international event for ten years.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
International
Conference on
Prevention and
Infection Control
Adapting
the concept
Inaugural
W21C Innovation
Academy
World Innovation
Day: Innovation for
Health
Second W21C
Innovation
Academy
Global Healthcare
Innovation
Academy in
Calgary
Third W21C
Innovation
Academy
Global Healthcare
Innovation
Academy in
Hong Kong
Fourth W21C
Innovation
Academy
Global Healthcare
Innovation
Academy, Toronto
Virtual Global
Healthcare
Innovation
Academy
The Innovation
Academy concept
was first used in
Geneva,
Switzerland to
promote
innovations that
can prevent health
care associated
infections and
control
antimicrobial
resistance.
Professors Didier
Pittet (Geneva),
Alex Molassiotis
(Hong Kong), and
John Conly
(Calgary) want to
take the Innovation
Academy concept
further to
showcase vetted
health care
innovations from
their local sites at
an international
competition. A
global planning
committee is
formed involving
W21C.
W21C hosts its first
Innovation
Academy for
health care
innovations at any
stage. 13
innovations
compete with
scientific posters
and business
pitches. Three are
awarded grant-in
aids to support
their innovation
and travel to the
first international
competition the
following year.
Geneva,
Switzerland hosts
the first
international event,
with their top local
innovations
competing against
entries arriving
from Pretoria,
Hong Kong, and
Calgary. Calgary
innovations
SnapDx Clinical,
RxRobots, and
Orpyx Medical
Technologies are
awarded first, third,
and fourth place in
the competition.
This competition
expands its call to
include
submissions from
across Western
Canada. 11
innovations
compete with four
winners receiving
funding and in-kind
services to support
the advancement
of their innovation.
RxRobots Based on their research, the
company has developed applications for the
humanoid robot MEDi to act as a pain coach,
educator, and companion for children during
hospital and dentistry procedures, and
counseling sessions. RxRobots has been
extremely successful since 2014 with sales to
children’s hospitals and dental practices
across North America.
Orpyx Medical Technologies Now with over
$3-million in sales annually, Orpyx’s wearable
technology systems within sensory insoles provide
people with diabetes the ability to monitor and
prevent diabetic foot ulcers and limb loss.
W21C hosts the
international
competition with a
new name and the
addition of a new
partner site, Unity
Health Toronto. A
wildcard
competition is held
pre-event to open
an additional spot
to compete. 500
attendees watched
14 innovations from
Western and
Eastern Canada,
Switzerland, and
Hong Kong
compete over a
two-day event,
with keynote talks,
workshop sessions,
and a youth
innovation
showcase.
This event
introduces two
pitch competition
streams —
commercial and
social innovation —
and includes 11
teams competing
across the two
streams. The
winners of this
competition were
clinician-led
innovations
founded by an
otolaryngologist,
internist, and
emergency
medicine physician.
Hong Kong
Polytechnic
University’s School
of Nursing in
Kowloon hosts a
two-day
competition
featuring 12 teams.
Calgary Department
of Medicine
residents win the
competition with
their
Multifunctional
Video
Laryngoscope.
All pictures courtesy of company websites.
This event
introduces the
newly renamed
biomedical stream
to go alongside the
social innovation
stream. The
afternoon features
13 teams and
highlights
university
innovation
ecosystem
partners: Life
Sciences
Innovation Hub,
Hunter Hub of
Entrepreneurial
Thinking,
Biomedical
Engineering,
Innovation 4
Health, and
Campus Alberta
Neuroscience.
FluidBiomed Two University of
Calgary clinician researchers
have developed the first
bioabsorbable brain stent to
treat aneurysms and promote
better healing. Awarded the top
biomedical innovation prize at
the 2019 W21C Innovation
Academy, the company has
since raised over $5-million
dollars in capital to accelerate
product development.
With an
international event
focus, the
pandemic pauses
the global
committee’s plans
to host the fourth
competition
in-person in
Toronto over the
summer.
After having to pause
plans to host a 2020
in-person competition
in Toronto due to the
pandemic, Unity
Health Toronto hosts
the first virtual event
format. A COVID
innovation competition
stream is added to the
event. The
competition features
24 innovations in three
streams from six
countries: Canada,
Mexico, Australia,
Qatar, Hong Kong,
and Switzerland.
Smart Biomedical This cross-Canada
faculty collaboration between the
University of Calgary and Queen’s
University was the people’s choice
winner at both 2019 and 2021 events.
Their Smart Drain device allows
health care providers a safer way to
access the chest cavity to reinflate a
collapsed lung. The company is
currently securing investors and
funding to reach their goal of FDA
approval of their device by Fall 2023.
DESTINE Health This cloud-based
decision support tool was the social
innovation winner at the 2021 event.
The software aids health care
administrators to create and optimize
transport protocols for acute stroke
patients. It can be regionally
customized to each health care
jurisdiction’s unique geography, and
hospital treatment capabilities. The
tool is being used in health systems
in the United Kingdom, Europe,
Japan, and the United States.
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W21C Research and Innovation Centre Supporting Entrepreneurs in their Commercialization Journey
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