Telus Health, the healthcare arm of Canadian mobile operator Telus, has made a strategic investment worth $3m in PatientSafe Solutions, a US-based producer of mobile hospital workflow systems that has raised about $100m to date.
The funding provides capital as well as an exclusive reseller agreement for Telus to bring its PatientTouch system, a handheld device which enables caregivers to more easily communicate with eachother while seeing patients, to Canada.
The proceeds of the investment will go towards scaling and integrating PatientTouch product to become compatible with a specialised iPod Touch that utilises a rugged case equipped with a barcode scanner. Hospitals can use PatientTouch in medication administration, specimen collection, infant care, care interventions, and care team communications.
In 2013, the company attracted $20m in a series C round of funding led by Merck Global Health Innovation fund. Other investors included Camden Partners, TPG Growth, and Psilos. In a subsequent round late last year it raised $7m from EBDI, the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, which brought the product to Asia.
“The PatientTouch system has already demonstrated its potential in the United States, having been embraced by leading institutions,” said Telus Ventures vice-president Mathew George in a statement. “We now look forward to bringing the technology north of the border to improve quality of care and positively impact patient outcomes.”