Phyxable – a world-class virtual care provider – and its partners, Micron Digital and Wizcraft Design Build Inc., have been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of five Canadian companies to contribute to its “Health Beyond Initiative” for 2023.

The Health Beyond Initiative has a bold vision to position Canada as the global leader of remote healthcare in space and on Earth. At the centre of this vision is the Connected Care Medical Module (C²M²). A C²M² is a one-stop shop for predictive, proactive and reactive medical care. It consists of state-of-the-art medical technologies incorporated into a mobile infrastructure. The technology will include a wide variety of advanced devices, all of which will be connected through a core computer system that will allow medical data to flow between devices. The C²M² aims to increase on-site medical capabilities and independence for remote healthcare delivery.

The long-term objective of the C²M²s is to equip astronauts to manage their health throughout long-duration missions with minimal dependence on support from Earth. In preparation for eventual usage in deep-space missions, the medical modules will first be created, operated and improved with collaborators on Earth in the coming years. In the short term, the project will have tremendous scope for the way healthcare is delivered to Canadians living in remote, medically isolated areas that are far from hospitals, clinics and typical points of medical care.

While many Canadians enjoy high-quality medical care, those in rural and remote regions and other medically isolated populations are in desperate need of improvements to healthcare delivery. Nearly one in five Canadians live in rural or remote areas and are served by just 8% of Canadian physicians. Moreover, there remain significant disparities in access, equity and healthcare outcomes for Indigenous Peoples, especially those residing in remote regions. These disparities are noted in the 2015 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which identifies health inequities as a critical call to action. Indigenous communities, remote areas in Canadian Territories, small towns in rural and remote locations lacking infrastructure and more would see tremendous healthcare benefits from the deployment of a mobile medical facility like the C²M².

Phyxable – given its experience delivering world-class virtual care to vulnerable Canadians – is actively developing a C²M² prototype called the Advanced Medical Pod (AMP) for CSA’s Health Beyond Initiative. A collaborative venture between Phyxable, Micron Digital and Wizcraft Design Build Inc., the AMP is an innovative, integrated and modular medical facility prototype being built for deployment in remote areas on Earth and to future missions in space.

The AMP is a comprehensive and multi-service system consisting of cutting-edge medical technologies incorporated into a mobile infrastructure. In addition to its integrated diagnostic devices, the AMP consists of an autonomous triage system utilizing machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to assess medical information and assist users with the capacity to detect, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in the absence of an on-site medical practitioner, if necessary. The AMP is part of an interconnected healthcare ecosystem, including a mobile application (app) that serves as an advanced medical intervention platform providing healthcare and lifestyle programming with the assistance of autonomous feedback generated by integrated novel wearable medical devices. The mobile app provides patients access to their medical data and treatment plans in an easy-to-understand, actionable format delivering a healthcare experience that is friendly and accessible.

The benefits of a C²M², such as the AMP, can be extended to areas beyond deep-space applications and permanent rural/remote healthcare solutions on Earth. With the ability to be deployed anywhere in the world, the AMP can be used as a healthcare solution for temporary operations that may benefit from a mobile and high-tech medical facility, such as mining and construction operations, military deployment or humanitarian aid missions. For example, imagine a humanitarian aid worker deployed to another country experiencing a heart attack. The aid worker will be able to use the AMP for an AI-guided ultrasound of the heart that can be performed by a team member who has little-to-no ultrasound training. When complete, the imaging data is sent to a specialist in another location for immediate analysis and a diagnosis is provided via video chat with a medical practitioner.

The future deployment of a C²M², such as the AMP, serves as a solution to an overburdened healthcare system by providing autonomous triage and autonomous (or assisted) diagnoses to reduce costs, shorten patient wait-times, support healthcare workers and increase patient access and quality of care. Moreover, the development of healthcare projects like the AMP may inspire the public and the next generation of youth to address other seemingly insurmountable health-related challenges facing Canadians and the global society – climate change, food insecurity, mental health challenges and healthcare inequities.

By initiating a leading role in deep-space healthcare innovation, Canada can position itself on the international stage as a pioneer in the delivery of remote healthcare and, thereby, in the development of resources and technologies that can be used in deep space and in remote or rural areas on Earth. Healthcare strategies and technologies developed to support crew members on deep-space missions could be used to empower healthcare providers serving those in remote regions. Considering the needs of healthcare delivery in deep space and remote regions are in many ways comparable, it can be expected that their solutions will likely overlap. The lessons learned from healthcare projects in deep space can be adapted to remote healthcare delivery for underserved populations. These healthcare innovations have the potential to be radically transformative for national healthcare delivery, lowering costs, and improving health outcomes for all.

A C²M², such as the AMP, is a revolutionary solution that refines clinical decision making, assists with medical diagnosis and treatment and improves the timeliness, quality and continuity of healthcare in remote and underserved areas. Phyxable is proud to be involved in the Health Beyond Initiative in collaboration with the CSA and hopes to apply the research and development from this project to improve its virtual physical therapy services to Canadians far and wide. 

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