Concordia University of Edmonton showcased student healthtech innovations at its Annual Research and Innovation Conference on April 10. "CARIC is more than just a presentation of data points; it is a celebration of curiosity and the collaborative spirit that defines CUE," said university president Tim Loreman in a news release. Taproot attended the conference to learn more.
Jamal Haider Rizvi has developed HEAL-RAG, an artificial intelligence tool for medical advice. His research found more than 70% of people seek medical advice online, but AI results can be inaccurate and unsafe. His tool uses retrieval-augmented generation and only parses accredited medical journals and databases, such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Rizvi's research shows his technology has an 87% accuracy rate, compared to a 76% accuracy rate of general tools such as ChatGPT. Rizvi said more than 90% of clinicians rated the tool's responses as clinically appropriate or excellent. Rizvi told Taproot the technology's next step is to gain approval from Health Canada.
Om Patel has developed QuitSmart, an app that aims to help users kick bad habits. "Smoking and vaping addiction are driven not only by chemical dependence, but also by behavioral patterns and environmental triggers," his research states. "Many individuals attempting to quit struggle due to the lack of real-time support during cravings." QuitSmart provides this support through Rescue Mode, which prompts users to track urge intensity, identify a trigger, choose an action, and receive a suggested coping strategy. Patel's research poster said QuitSmart could also help with broader bad habits. "QuitSmart has the potential to evolve into a more intelligent, personalized system that supports long-term behavior change." Patel told Taproot he plans to launch QuitSmart's web app soon, and has already begun developing a mobile version.