Technological advances in medicine: a revolution in the making

Artificial intelligence: the new ally for healthcare professionals

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized medical diagnosis, enabling earlier and more accurate detection of many diseases. For example, recent studies have shown that AI algorithms outperform radiologists in the detection of breast cancer, with an accuracy rate of up to 95 %. And tools like Alphabet's DeepMind help predict acute kidney disease 48 hours ahead of traditional methods.

These innovations reduce medical errors, a major issue in Canada, where they cost $2.8 billion a year (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2023). Time savings are also significant, enabling doctors to devote more time to patients and less to administrative tasks.

Telemedicine and remote care management

Telemedicine has seen a meteoric rise in adoption, particularly in remote areas of Quebec. In 2022, 53 % of mental health consultations in Canada took place online, reducing waiting times for these services by 30 %. However, the generalization of these practices requires adapted infrastructures: in some regions, only 63 % of households have a sufficient high-speed Internet connection, according to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Despite these challenges, telemedicine can reduce the cost of patient travel and improve access to specialists, particularly for chronic diseases.

Biotechnology and precision medicine: towards personalized care

Gene therapies and precision medicine are pushing back the boundaries of what is medically possible. CAR-T therapy, a form of immunotherapy targeting cancer cells, has shown spectacular results: up to 80 % of remission in patients with acute leukemia.

In Quebec, genomics research, supported by Génome Québec, is playing a key role in the development of treatments tailored to patients' genetic specificities. This approach could save $800 million a year in unnecessary treatments, according to a study by the Université de Montréal.