Sunnybrook collaborates with Boehringer Ingelheim Canada to enhance care for complex cardiovascular patients

TORONTO, ON, Wed, 09/28/2022 - 06:00

Sept. 28, 2022 (TORONTO, ON) – Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s Heart Function clinic. has recently collaborated with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. to implement the Medly Program— a digital health solution for complex cardiovascular patients. Developed at the University Health Network (UHN), Medly is designed to help the way clinicians and patients manage heart failure.

“Bringing Medly into our practice has been a game changer,” says Dr. Stephanie Poon, Medical Director, Heart Function Clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Sunnybrook). “We are seeing improvements in communication with patients and their self-management. Technology continues to raise the bar in patient care, and as clinicians we couldn’t be happier to see this in action with Medly.”

Heart failure is a complex, chronic, and progressive condition and one of the top five reasons ¹for hospital admission in Canada. Patients use the Medly app to record their daily weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and symptoms and receive instant feedback or alerts based on their personalized thresholds and care plan. A nurse coordinator uses the web-based Medly Dashboard to assess a patient’s health status and responds to patients who have received an alert through the Medly app. One nurse coordinator can provide care remotely for upwards of 300 heart failure patients. By enabling early interventions in response to symptom changes, the Medly app can result in dramatic improvements to patients’ health and reductions in hospitalizations.

“Using Medly has been wonderful,” says Arthur Labbancz, patient from Sunnybrook Heart Function Clinic. “Every morning I input my numbers, and if there’s an issue, I get direction on what to do through the app. I feel great knowing I have this safety net. It has a calming effect and I feel more connected to my care team. I know they’re looking out for me and my health every day.”

Implementing the Medly Program at Sunnybrook was made possible thanks to a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada in December 2020.

“By coming together to enable innovative healthcare solutions for patients, heart failure care can be enhanced,” says Andrea Sambati, President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. “With this collaboration, we aim to make a positive impact for those with heart failure and drive sustainable and transformative health system change."

The Medly Program has been operating as standard of care at UHN since 2016 and peer reviewed research has demonstrated the Medly Program led to a 50% reduction in the number of heart failure-related hospitalizations and a 24% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations.

ABOUT SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE:

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation, and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada’s war veterans. To learn more about Sunnybrook, visit https://sunnybrook.ca.

Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. More than 52,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. The Canadian headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1972 in Montreal, Quebec and is now located in Burlington, Ontario. Boehringer Ingelheim employs approximately 500 people across Canada.
Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca.

¹ Canadian Institute for Health Information. Hospital Stays in Canada [Product release]. Accessed September 8, 2022.