A triage algorithm built to shorten Canadian ER waits

ERgo is a tool built to help reduce wait times in Canadian ER waiting rooms without additional resources. Zhijian Sun built it. Working with profs and clinical researchers at McGill University, he is using real healthcare data to build customisable algorithms that automatically evaluate the most efficient way of triaging patients in real time.

Physicians and triage nurses in Quebec and Alberta have validated the project, he says. It won silver medals at both the Quebec provincial and the Canada-Wide Science fairs.

“I grew up with chronic illnesses, so I know the endless hours of an ER waiting room. When I saw that people are dying in ER hallways before they can see a doctor, I couldn't call it anything but indefensible for a country that prides itself on public healthcare.”

Zhijian Sun

"So I used the skills I had in data science to test whether this wait could be made shorter and safer for all," he says.

He is a student at Dawson College.

The next step, he says, is implementing the tool in a real clinical environment. That means a secure server, continued improvement of the triage algorithms and project expenses, and he is looking for funds to cover them.

He says ERgo is a clear example that tech tools in public health are invaluable, "if we're willing to build them."