Waterloo Startup Preemptive and Local Health Care Providers Team up to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic
WATERLOO, Ontario (PRWEB) May 10, 2018 -- Over the past year, local start-up Preemptive has engaged with local healthcare provider Stonehenge Therapeutic Community. The idea was simple; create a better way to manage community withdrawal management across a wide patient population in Waterloo Wellington through technology.
The first step to bring together technology and healthcare to improve the patient experience and reduce risk has been launched with a partnership between local business, Preemptive Inc. and Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, a Guelph-based not-for-profit.
"We want to show that technology can improve quality of life and the lives of people in our community who need assistance, without stigma. We can help tackle the opioid epidemic with technology and a new approach" Says Joseph Puopolo CEO, Co-Founder Preemptive
Before meeting Preemptive, the challenge for Stonehenge was using a small investment of funds to provide a broad range of withdrawal support services across all of Waterloo Wellington. During this opioid crisis, it is key that those suffering with chronic and acute substance use issues get the support and treatment they need.
What Stonehenge Therapeutic Community has been able to do through working with Preemptive Inc. is:
- Engage clients with an interactive app related to their recovery
- Receive instant client feedback to reduce the risk of withdrawal in the community
- Increase worker efficiency and communication
- Deliver an easy to use, collaborative environment for staff and clients to communicate to improve everyone's experience
This collaboration between a technology entrepreneur and a health service provider resulted in more direct, streamlined communication channels. This innovation has allowed staff to gain immediate feedback from clients and improve the quality of care in the Community Withdrawal Support Service in Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener/Waterloo. The experience for both staff and clients will be significantly improved.
"It was a very lucky day for Stonehenge Therapeutic Community when we collided with Preemptive last year at the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network sponsored Collision Day at Communitech," Says Heather Kerr, Executive Director at Stonehenge. "Our new app for the Community Withdrawal Support Services improves client engagement, lowers risk and increases worker efficiency."
Stonehenge Therapeutic Community is the first Care Facility to pilot this innovative technology with Preemptive. The app is now spreading to other healthcare facilities like House of Friendship.
In the next 18 months Preemptive and Stonehenge are aiming to work closely together to take their partnership to new levels.
"Solving the current opioid crisis can't be done by one organization or sector alone. We need to work together to implement more innovative, person-centred approaches. This is why we were proud to bring together the local tech community with our local health service providers and Communitech to work on solutions together. Because of this, residents will benefit from a partnership between Preemptive and Stonehenge that will better support those dealing with opioid withdrawal. This innovation has the potential to spread across Waterloo Wellington, benefiting thousands." Elliot Fung, Executive Lead, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Waterloo Wellington LHIN (Local Health Integration Network)
Preemptive was founded in Waterloo Region and Incubated at the Accelerator Centre.
Joseph Puopolo, Preemptive, +1 (519) 572-3212, [email protected]
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