Treatment.com talks up Rocket Doctor

Executive Summary

• Treatment.com AI Inc. and its platform Rocket Doctor are launching a scalable, AI-enabled Emergency Department (ED) diversion program in Canada to alleviate strain on overwhelmed hospitals by managing low-acuity patients virtually.
• The program utilizes smart triage and a flexible physician network to redirect appropriate patients away from overcrowded ERs, offering faster access to outpatient care while maintaining clinical safety.
• Early operational data from Georgian Bay General Hospital (Ontario) and broader Alberta platform metrics demonstrate high success rates in virtual resolution, significant cost savings, and reduced ER diversion rates.

Key Details

• Program Mechanism: The ED diversion program uses smart triage, customized intake forms, and real-time triage to allow patients to self-select rerouting to clinically appropriate outpatient consultations via independent MDs on the Rocket Doctor platform or hospital staff.
• Georgian Bay General Hospital Results (Ontario):
  • Period: June 2022 to December 2024.
  • Volume: More than 3,065 patients successfully managed.
  • Virtual Resolution: 97% of patients treated virtually; only 1% redirected to the ER.
  • Wait Times: Average wait time of 20 minutes to connect with a physician.
  • Cost Savings: Estimated system savings of $1.4 million, calculated based on an average cost of $475 per diverted ER visit.
  • Funding: All visits covered under OHIP with no additional fees to patients.
• Alberta Platform Performance:
  • Volume: Over 12,000 patients seen in the past three months.
  • Funding: Entirely financed by provincial health insurance.
  • Virtual Resolution: More than 98% of visits resolved without in-person care.
  • ER Diversion: Less than 1% of patients sent to the ER.
• Clinical Capabilities: The platform empowers physicians to order labs, imaging, and specialist referrals, or escalate to in-person care when clinically necessary. Patients can rebook with the same physician for continuity of care.
• Market Context: The initiative addresses a crisis where Canadian EDs have experienced over 1.14 million hours of closure since 2019, with significant disruptions in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Notable Quotes

• "We see so many patients in our rural, remote and even urban communities going to ED, often when they recognize that they could be seen outside the hospital... We often see patients choose an ED with low-acuity issues simply because of a lack of access to family doctors, or other accessible out-patient choices." — Dr. William Cherniak, CEO of Rocket Doctor
• "We are filling that gap by empowering physicians in a team-based cloud-enabled model of care with technological support to work at the top of their licence within their clinical competencies digitally... We're building a system that gives patients a smarter entry point and gives physicians the tools to work independently, safely, and efficiently." — Dr. William Cherniak, CEO of Rocket Doctor