The Idea Dude

CONNECTING THE DOTS ONE AT A TIME

Friday, August 03, 2007

Wellocities, a journey and not a destination... part 4

As my conversation with Dr Amol Deshpande from Wellocities came to an end, I realized that for Amol and his team, it is the beginning of a new conversation for Canada. It is a conversation about empowering the patient. A conversation that will spark other conversations between patients, family, friends, caregivers and physicans.

I asked Amol what final message he wanted to leave...

As healthcare professionals, we're great at delivering healthcare to individuals. But we can only do it one person at a time. Caring should not stop when you leave a hospital or clinic. For those with chronic conditions, a visit to the physician is just an event within a long and often painful journey. It is many times a lonely one.

Wellocities is about your journey. We want to be your guide to resolving health issues.

Imagine the ability to search, based on your needs, and in one place, for the relevant people, places and things that help manage your health.

Imagine the ability to store information on your symptoms, treatments, medications, conditions etc. and allow others such as your family, friends, caregivers and even providers to access this journal in times of need.

Finally, imagine sharing your learnings with your health community and learning from them as well.

With the ubiquity of online access and the emergence of social networks, we now have the technology and the medium to execute on our vision of a healthier Canada. I'm extremely excited to be part of something that can have a profound and long-term impact on all Canadians.


For the last several months, I have spent many hours with the folks at Wellocities, building, sharing, teaching and learning. Like any startup, there is often lively debate but there is one thing the group has never been divided on... their success should only be measured by the difference they make to all Canadians who choose to travel on their journey with Wellocities.

The reality is, their success in building a healthier Canada is inextricably tied to whether as Canadians we transcend from being merely consumers of healthcare to prosumers (producers and consumers) participating and contributing to the common good.

Let the journey begin...

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