Ep. 59: Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia and the eHealth Centre for Excellence

“We have Bernie, the bot that burns out so that physicians don’t have to” - Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia, Managing Director of the eHealth Centre of Excellence.

This week, we had the privilege of talking to Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia, the Managing Director of eHealth Centre of Excellence, a company working to build tools and platforms for Virtual Healthcare. From his background in biochemistry and computer science to his motivation for studying medicine, to conversations about bots in medicine - we unravel the thoughts and processes behind simplifying consultations and referrals using technology.

To find more of our podcasts, you can go to howitsmed.com, https://plnk.to/howitsmed, or https://youtu.be/WqHhj2eGzw4

1:59-4:50 - From compsci to medicine - what was the link? Dr. Alarakhia discusses the origin of his passion for and career in tech in healthcare.

5:08-11:52 - Accurate? Convenient? Danger? Mohamed lays down his perspective on the sacrifices made by and boons offered by adoption of digital health.

12:22-20:19 - What’s the difference between the eHealth Centre of Excellence and a healthtech startup? Why did Mohamed choose the latter? He tells all.

20:42-26:20 - Healthtech startups and a battle with procurement - name a more iconic Canadian couple. From 3000 requirements to pizza as an analogy, Mohamed explains this process.

26:42-32:59 - Who are Cody, Bernie, and Sharon? Mohamed explains that they’re bots built by his group to help reduce burnout, not “to cause more burnout.”

33:16-38:28 - Do physicians have a role in medical procurement? Mohamed discusses his view on this process.