MySphera has developed a real-time location system for patients that works through Bluetooth bracelets. Telefónica and MySphera are working together to implement these solutions, key to the digital transformation that the Spanish healthcare system has been undertaking. The platform has already been implemented in 45 hospitals in Europe. Wayra Spain, Telefónica's open innovation hub, together with MySphera, is committed to IoT (Internet of Things) solutions to fight Coronavirus safely. Wayra's investment in the Valencian startup MySphera aims to provide security for both professionals and patients through the digitalization of hospital management using a platform that allows for real-time patient location and identification. This system, which operates via Bluetooth wristbands, is capable of providing real-time measurements of the healthcare process, as well as automating the management of certain tasks between departments. This development could be key in hospital crises such as the current global COVID-19 pandemic. In the current phase of the disease's spread, the main measures are focused on containment and safety, that is, avoiding as many direct and cross-contaminations as possible, and to achieve this, tracing already infected patients is vital.
The MySphera platform and its real-time location system provide significant advantages for secure management for both healthcare professionals and patients. In a hospital setting, several risk factors exist for an infected person: other patients with weakened health or certain pathologies that could worsen the situation, medical personnel in direct contact with patients, and equipment used in diagnosis and treatment. MySphera's IoT technology allows for rapid and secure identification of patients via Bluetooth proximity. It also provides automatic and complete traceability of the areas the patient has been in, the staff they have interacted with, the materials used in the process, and a complete transcription of all data provided verbally by the patient (their most recent movements and contacts). In addition, each healthcare professional can obtain a record of the patients they have been in contact with via their smartphone, receiving alerts if any of them are diagnosed with a contagious disease. The platform, implemented in more than 45 hospitals across Europe, is offering automatic patient and equipment tracking in facilities such as the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, where it is used by 40,000 patients annually, and the Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, where it is used by 10,000 patients per year. Both centers have the Real-Time Location System in their inpatient areas. It is also being used successfully in hospitals to improve the management of surgical suites, such as at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.
Another area where traceability is essential is the Emergency Department, as it is the most exposed area of a healthcare center. Aware of this importance, the Navarra Hospital Complex uses the MySphera system, which is used by nearly 10,000 patients per month.
“At Wayra, we invest in startups ready to change the world with innovative solutions, and MySphera is undoubtedly one of them,” says Paloma Castellano, director of Wayra Madrid.
“Wayra's investment is very important for our international expansion, it strengthens our long-standing relationship with Telefónica, and it is a major step towards replicating a model that has proven to be a great success in new markets,” says Salvador Vera, CEO of MySphera.
MySphera was founded in 2012 with the aim of improving healthcare through a platform capable of generating innovative solutions. Today, MySphera is a leading healthcare company in Europe, having deployed its solutions in more than 45 hospitals and maintaining strategic and technological collaborations worldwide. MySphera's solution is marketed with the support of Telefónica, which integrates it into its commercial product catalog.