Enhancing patient safety while supporting healthcare staff in their work
Patient safety in healthcare institutions has taken a significant step forward. Digital health company QUMEA has developed an intelligent mobility monitoring system for the patient room. It enables nurses to monitor patient activity and mobility in real time and receive an alarm in case of potentially risky situations. This helps healthcare professionals to proactively manage risk, e.g. of falling, and be with their patients when they need help.
Patients staying in healthcare facilities may suffer falls or other incidents affecting their health and recovery. Personal care provided by nursing professionals is irreplaceable – which is precisely why supportive technologies that relieve and supplement their work are becoming increasingly important. It’s a challenge that QUMEA has decided to rise to. The Solothurn-based company develops smart devices and monitoring systems, specially designed for hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric wards and other care institutions, to ensure effective monitoring while bringing relief to the nursing staff.
The deployed technology allows for continuous remote monitoring of patients, thanks to modern Radar-sensors and advanced algorithms capable of detecting critical situations such as falls or unusual behaviour. “The system is designed to alert staff before an incident occurs. For example, if a patient tries to get out of bed, an alarm is immediately sent to healthcare staff, allowing them to intervene quickly and prevent a potential fall," explains Cyrill Gyger, CEO and Co-founder of QUMEA. The system is designed to respect patient privacy: “Attached to the ceiling, a radar sensor monitors motion in the entire room. When assistance is needed, healthcare staff are alerted through an app. The system guarantees total anonymity since no cameras are used."
Significant growth
Founded in 2019, QUMEA’s solution is already adopted by over 100 healthcare institutions in Switzerland and several European countries. At the same time, the company has expanded abroad with offices opened in Sweden and Germany. This rapid growth is explained by various factors: «Firstly, we designed our system with the help of healthcare staff, so it directly meets their needs. Secondly, our solution supports healthcare staff against a backdrop of global staff shortages. This tool promotes efficiency while reducing the workload,» says Anna Windisch, head of Business Development at QUMEA.
The support of Innosuisse has also made a difference. «Their support has been decisive from the start of the business to its scale-up. Access to valuable advice from industry and business experts has helped us refine our strategy, optimise our operations and develop new markets efficiently. In addition, we have benefited from a strong network of partners and financial support to improve our products and services,» says Anna Windisch.
Improvement and new perspectives
Far from resting on its laurels, QUMEA is already testing new features to perfect its solution. «Research is currently being conducted to support nurses even more, such as the detection and interpretation of vital signs,» says Jonas Reber, CTO at QUMEA.
At the commercial level, the company is thinking big. Cyrill Gyger: «We want to create new partnerships with healthcare institutions and research centres to validate and expand the use cases of our technology. Every nurse should benefit from our solution, so QUMEA can provide a small, yet instrumental puzzle piece in overcoming the giant challenges that our healthcare system is presented with.»
