This past year, we realized just how important virtual healthcare options are but Think Research was ahead of the curve. Take a look into our conversation with them, where we discussed the advantages of virtual healthcare and how we can utilize it in a post-covid world.
For nearly a year, the term “new normal” has been used to describe a way of life that feels anything but. There’s nothing mundane about a state of constant evolution through the unknown; fresh challenges arise almost as quickly as we solve them, and even as they multiply, we find ways to respond and to continue moving forward.
At TEDxToronto, we’ve experienced this firsthand, and we’re so grateful to have had Think Research as a partner as we navigated our 2020/2021 Uncharted Digital Event Series. It’s been extremely important to us to have partners who share the value we place on “Ideas Worth Spreading”, and Think Research goes beyond just believing in it.
Think Research grew from an incredible vision: to improve healthcare and make it more accessible. In 2006, long before virtual went mainstream, it was one of the very first Canadian startups to be innovating in the digital healthcare space. With an offering of tools and services like virtual care platforms, referral apps, and digital senior support tools, its focus was on consolidating the world’s health knowledge so that everyone could access the same level of information in order to receive the very best care.
Fast-forward to 2020: with the pandemic exposing the many inequities in our society, Think Research’s systems were already poised to address them. According to Sachin Aggarwal, CEO of Think Research:
“Digital health tools and telemedicine are vital in the healthcare system and we’ve seen just how valuable these tools are as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. [...] People without access to technology are often left out of the telemedicine conversation. This needs to change, as virtual care and digital health tools need to support all Canadians. Our mission is to organize the world's health knowledge so everyone gets the best care. And that means everyone - not just those with the means.”
On a wider level, many of Think’s tools are also allowing for more expansive and more efficient healthcare. From quicker referrals to addressing the current surgery backlog, there are a myriad of ways that Think Research’s solutions are helping us adapt to meet problems unique to the pandemic. More broadly, they are re-thinking the way we interact with healthcare altogether.
“Before the pandemic”, said Sachin, “we would book an appointment, go to a clinic and sit in a waiting room just to get a prescription renewed - maybe you'd need to take a half day off work to do that. It's not the most efficient use of anyone's time and those are the types of visits that are really well-suited to a telemedicine alternative.”
And it’s not just physical health; true to its name, Think Research has been working closely with a number of mental health services.
“Working closely with [associations including the Ontario Psychological Association] gave us the opportunity to really collaborate with the mental health sector and tailor a product to suit their specific needs of care like facilitating group therapy, for example. It also gave mental health professionals access to a platform that meets all of the privacy and confidentiality requirements that are so important to their field, as they are across the healthcare system.”
From its very beginnings, Think Research has been a pioneer in uncharted spaces, and now, on the cutting edge of pandemic response, they’re charting a new course. We’re proud to have partnered with an organization that is going beyond adapting, beyond surviving, and which is actively reshaping, rethinking and improving the way that healthcare affects - and improves - daily life for all of us. To learn more about Think Research, click here.
