Be heard ? cast your vote for the best innovation to help millions of Canadians living with a chronic disease

TORONTO, April 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voting opens today for Canadians to choose their favourite innovation from one of the seven finalists selected to compete at Arthritis Society Canada's second Arthritis Ideator Awardstm, a pitch-style competition at Toronto's MaRS Discovery District on April 20, 2023.

Each finalist will be vying for one of four $50,000 grants to help them grow their venture. Three winning innovations will be selected by an expert panel of judges while the People's Choice Award will be determined by popular vote. Canadians are encouraged to cast their vote online at arthritis.ca/peopleschoice. Voting closes on April 19. All winners of the 2023 Arthritis Ideator Awardstm will be announced at the live competition event on April 20. 

"We must think differently as we work to solve the challenges of arthritis, a debilitating disease that impacts 1 in 5 Canadians and has no cure," says Trish?Barbato, President & CEO of Arthritis Society Canada.?"The Arthritis Ideator Awards encourages and rewards bold, fearless thinking and will help get these innovations to the people who need them most ? as quickly as possible."  

The seven finalists in alphabetical order include:  

1. Cadence Health Analytics
   Windsor, Ont. 
   Inspired by his own experience with arthritis, Stefan Gertz and his team have developed an app that helps you to optimize the limited time you have with your rheumatologist. The app gathers health insights before your appointment, so patients and doctors have everything at their fingertips.
   
   
2. eNable Analytics 
   Fredericton, N.B.
   Alex Roberts, Sarah Diaz and Dr. Erik Scheme created eNable Analytics, sensor technology that augments walking aids such as canes and walkers and integrates with an app to monitor the gait of people with arthritis, to predict falls and motivate them to meet activity goals.
   
   
3. FirstHx
   Toronto, Ont.
   As a web-based medical intake platform, FirstHx is designed to reduce the time to get an arthritis diagnosis. By gathering a precise medical history before you see your doctor, FirstHx asks the questions that ensure the right diagnostic tests are ordered.
   
   
4. Heal Mary 
   Vancouver, B.C.
   Launched by Cassandra Hui, Heal Mary leverages machine learning language processing to match arthritis patients with the most appropriate clinical research trial.
   
   
5. Imaging Reality
   Vancouver, B.C. 
   Imaging Reality is an immersive 3D medical imaging and virtual reality experience designed to enhance patients' understanding of the arthritis in their joints, improving joint replacement surgery outcomes.
   
   
6. Joints on Point
   Ottawa, Ont.
   Developed by physiotherapists, Joints on Point is a mobile app and web platform that will help people in rural and remote areas manage their osteoarthritis through a virtual online community of physiotherapists, video programs, support tools and resources.
   
   
7. Pillcheck
   Toronto, Ont.
   Pillcheck optimizes arthritis medications based on your DNA with the help of an expert pharmacist. Pillcheck's easy-to-use, at-home test kit provides a lifetime of insights to avoid medication side effects.  

Vote for the Arthritis Ideator Awards People's Choice Award at arthritis.ca/peopleschoice 

Learn more about the 2023 Arthritis Ideator awards at arthritis.ca/ideators

About Arthritis 
Arthritis affects six million Canadians and is a leading cause of disability. Most people, however, underestimate its seriousness. Arthritis causes excruciating pain, restricts mobility and diminishes quality of life. It impacts people of all ages, including children and more than half of people living with the disease are under age 65.   

About Arthritis Society Canada 
Fueled by the trust and support of our donors and volunteers, Arthritis Society Canada is Canada's national health charity fighting the fire of arthritis with research, advocacy, innovation, information and support. We represent the six million Canadians living with arthritis today, and the millions more who are impacted or at risk. Without action now, the number of Canadians living with arthritis will grow to nine million by 2040. Arthritis Society Canada is accredited under Imagine Canada's Standards Program. For more information, visit www.arthritis.ca. 

For more information or to arrange interviews: 
Alexandra Tushingham 
[email protected]
905-999-7565
Argyle PR 

Brigitte Fortin 
Director, Marketing and Communications/Directrice du marketing et des communications 
Arthritis Society Canada 
514-688-0533 
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/550214b9-21bf-4fad-90ca-3417c6286bda