Empower Clinics Inc (CSE:CBDT) (OTCQB:EPWCF) (FRA:8EC) and MedX Health Corporation have announced a Memorandum of Understanding to pilot MedX's DermSecure Screening Platform (teledermatology) at two select Empower Clinics locations in Ontario.
In a statement Wednesday, Empower said there are plans for a broader market roll-out, pending the completion of a successful pilot.
"Empower exists to make testing, screening and diagnostics as convenient as possible for patients," said Empower CEO Steven McAuley.
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"Providing our patients with easy access to quality virtual services like teledermatology compliments our current COVID-19 testing amid the ongoing pandemic. MedX is an ideal teledermatology partner, as their screening platform is second to none. We look forward to the results of this pilot and making the platform more widely available throughout our network," McAuley added.
Teledermatology is a sub-speciality of dermatology that offers safe and effective virtual care-patient screening, assessment, and diagnosis -- eliminating the need for in-person appointments with a dermatologist.
Unlike other teledermatology screening tools available, Empower said MedX's platform features high-resolution image capture technology for moles, lesions, and other skin conditions, providing a complete, virtual dermatological assessment by a certified dermatologist within just 72 hours.
"With only about 500 dermatologists available to serve over 37 million Canadians, the wait times to see a specialist in-person can be anywhere from five months to one year," said Mike Druhan, president of Dermatology Services at MedX.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has nearly doubled the average wait period. We know that early detection of melanoma greatly increases the patient's survival rate and reduces the cost to the health-care system. Partnering with Empower allows us to dramatically grow our patient base, and ultimately save more lives."
According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, last year an estimated 8,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer and about 1,300 Canadians died of the disease. With mortality rates increasing by as much as 1.2% per year since 1984, early and rapid detection is key to improving patient outcomes.
Empower said the pilot program will be in place for four months, reaching an estimated 13,500 patients. Pending the pilot's successful completion, the MedX DermSecure Screening Platform will become more widely available to Empower's health center network across North America.
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