Physicians and AI Co-Piloting for Better Health

Every day, the healthcare industry processes massive amounts of data. To assess patients and provide treatments, doctors and physicians have to sift through it all, from patient history to genetic and environmental factors. But big data and technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing how information is stored – the volume of it – and how it is shared and analyzed. These tools are helping process all of the information needed to make a prognosis more quickly than ever before. At a time when healthcare is dealing with an aging population and increase of chronic disease, AI is changing how providers and patients engage.

In 2018, TD acquired the company Layer 6 which is considered a leader in AI. Layer 6 is using its AI machine prediction engine to improve health outcomes for Canadians. Data scientists from Layer 6 are working with the University of Toronto to see how this technology can improve outcomes for those living with diabetes in Canada. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing health issues today, which is also more prevalent among certain ethnocultural groups and can be impacted by income levels. AI has the potential to help personalize care and help with early diagnosis.

Virtual reality is another tool being used to provide more effective and personalized care. In Bennington, Vermont, the TD Charitable Foundation provided a grant to Shires Housing, a non-profit dedicated to providing decent, safe, affordable housing to limited income residents in Bennington County. Because many of the residents are dealing with dementia, the grant will support the use of virtual reality technology for the staff so they can experience the physical and mental challenges of dementia. The hope is that this will build a better understanding of the disease and improve services for those suffering from it.

For more stories like this, read TD's 2018 report on The Ready Commitment.