Creating a Technological Environment for Medical Facilities

Q: Why is Aidicare’s technological approach to healthcare the best solution for patients and hospitals?

A: Aidicare wants to improve people’s quality of life but also ensure safety during their hospital visits, which is why we offer one service for the individual user and another for hospitals. Aidicare transforms technological innovation into a useful and beneficial service for the patient. The company started four years ago and we are now present in Miami, London and Mexico. Our goal is to respect the hospital’s structure while smoothly digitalizing its practices, not to disrupt its way of working.

Our first service, Aidicare Life, is designed to help patients care for their health outside the hospital through a wearable and an app that track the person’s vital signs, including sleep patterns, physical activity, daily steps, weight control, glucose control, heart rate, blood pressure, oximetry and temperature. The wearable allows us to keep track of certain aspects, while elements such as temperature or weight can be submitted through other devices that can connect to the app, which also are available for purchase through Aidicare.

Our algorithms analyze the gathered information to determine the status of the patient’s health, whether they are at risk of future complications or if they are in good health. If the person is presenting concerning results, Aidicare will advise that person to get a medical consultation for a diagnosis. Additionally, Aidicare can also reach out to the person’s physician and ask for a consultation for that user.

To connect this information with a doctor and offer a complete healthcare service, Aidicare also provides a digital board where doctors can keep track of the patient’s health. The objective is to provide doctors with a clear view of the patient’s lifestyle, habits and health status, which also trims around 35 minutes from the consult. This customized solution using AI algorithms allows for a precise diagnosis and better advice for a healthier lifestyle. 

The Aidicare Hospital solution targets patients who are in the ICU or have just come out surgery. It uses a tablet to track vital signs and alert medical staff of any changes in the patient’s condition. Through the use of AI, Aidicare offers facial recognition of the patient before entering the ICU or before surgery, which is possible through a partnership with Amazon. The objective of this development is to avoid any misdiagnosis or use of a wrong clinical record. Aidicare can also complete necessary forms used by nurses with the information gathered through the patient’s wearable. At Medica Sur, around 60 percent of doctors use this digitalized concept, which has also diminished their use of paper due to the digital connection to the patient electronic clinical record. Aidicare has also received guidance at technology competitions organized by Endeavor and Prosible that have helped the company to perfect its products.

Q: How does the company encourage people to use Aidicare Life?

A: We have three lines of approach. The first is through doctors. A recommendation from a doctor to use a wearable to monitor the status of the patient’s health is a big step. Some hospitals in Mexico already do this, mainly with patients suffering from diabetes. Patients can get the app from our online store but the doctors we work with regularly have stocks of the wearable. The second approach is through social media advertisements and marketing. Lastly, we approach companies. More and more Mexican companies are investing in their workers’ health and Aidicare Life can save them a lot of money by helping to prevent their employees from developing chronic diseases that are expensive to treat. In Mexico, one success story is a pawnshop company that was paying US$1,100 per month for each of its diabetic employees. With Aidicare Life, those expenses were reduced to US$300 per 2,500 people with diabetes.

Q: How does Aidicare adapt its services to different hospitals?

A: Aidicare tailors its solutions to the hospital’s specific characteristics. Before offering any service, we visit the hospital to understand its particular dynamics. We also approach doctors and nurses for their feedback on our services, which has allowed Aidicare design user-friendly digital and personalized solutions that require no training or guidance. We do offer some training but these are not complex systems that require months for hospital staff to learn how to use them.

Q: What are the benefits of smart hospitals and how would this model benefit Mexico?

A: Smart hospitals provide an administrative advantage. With Aidicare, we have been able to reduce by 38 percent the need to admit a patient to an ICU. For small hospitals, this is a game changer. Digitalized processes also allow a standardization of information to allow the clear and smooth tracing of the patient’s status. Aidicare also offers tracking of supplies and devices. This tool is incredibly helpful for hospitals because they can plan their inventory and costs and avoid material and monetary loses.

Insurers can also benefit from a smart hospital. At Medica Sur, which is now tending to COVID-19 patients, Aidicare created an option to offer insurers a real-time follow-up on one of their clients who is a confirmed case of COVID-19. This saves time and costs for both the hospital and the insurer.

Medically, the staff is able to monitor the real-time status of the patient. The correct follow-up and treatment help to prevent further common physiological adversities that present after medical interventions. We are very satisfied with the outcome and reception for our personalized solutions for medical staff. The use and control of digital tools has improved their daily practice and their performance as professionals. Technology is changing healthcare practices to the benefit of the patient.

Q: How has COVID-19 impacted the way your company works?

A: Our services have been boosted because technology is driving the healthcare sector right now. With the pandemic, Aidicare was able to develop and run the hospital service for insurers and we have also created a product called Torre Medica Virtual to enable hospitals to correctly use telemedicine. This product is a platform for hospitals to provide the same services they usually offer but digitally. This is a personalized solution that maintains the hospital’s institutionalized concepts. The platform adapts to their concept, themed colors, options and services, and it includes a scheduling system to book consultations and offer teleconferences.

In the case of telemedicine, we provide the patient with a tablet and a medical kit to use during the consultation. This allows the doctor to provide a reliable diagnosis. The medical kit includes simple items like thermometers or stethoscopes that are digitalized to send information to the doctor.

Aidicare provides reliable, cost-effective solutions to professionals and patients looking for a better quality of life and more information about their health. It also offers 24/7 support to either manage complex situations or to help with daily tasks related to proactive care of patients’ health