24Care case study Vodafone Global M2M 24Care ensures life-saving defibrillators are in prime condition, using Vodafone M2M connectivity Vodafone Power to you
24Care case study 24Care ensures life-saving defibrillators are in prime condition, using Vodafone M2M connectivity Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) save lives. They are an increasingly common sight in offices, public spaces and in local authorities, and health care providers realise the benefits of keeping a defibrillator close at hand. Of course the AEDs are only effective if they re working, and to work they need regular maintenance and support. 24Care, a Dutch ehealth specialist, has developed an automatic monitoring solution. Using Vodafone M2M connectivity, the defibrillator technology, DefiCommunicator, is helping to improve the efficiency of AEDs and saving lives. There are an estimated 80,000 AEDs in the Netherlands. The devices, found in many public areas, are used to save the lives of people suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. The AED delivers a small dose of electricity to the heart, helping re-establish normal rhythms. Every minute without the AED reduces chances of survival by 10 %.
3 Unfortunately, around 12,000 of these AEDs are not working at any given time. The AEDs suffer from vandalism, battery failure, faulty components and general wear and tear. To date 24Care has created solutions to help in the treatment of diabetes, cardiac and arrhythmia conditions. Spotting an opportunity to create an automated monitoring system, in 2012 it launched DefiCommunicator. The device, attached to the outside of the AED, carries out regular equipment health checks and sends an alert if there is a problem. We know there have been instances of people needing an AED, but because an AED wasn t working, panic broke out, says Waïl Saadani, Director, 24Care, we don t think that s acceptable. DefiCommunicator can tackle this issue. The need To work effectively the new product faced several challenges. There are around 15 different manufacturers of AEDs, each with their own features and protocols. Some use optical sensors, some acoustic; others have infrared or Bluetooth connections. The 24Care solution needed to be able to monitor each of these without disrupting performance. Having addressed this, 24Care then needed to guarantee reliable connectivity. Each device would need to send regular alerts from anywhere in the Netherlands. This had to work nationally, but we were also aware from a very early stage that this had the potential to go international, says Saadani. We needed an international partner. 24Care had previously worked with Vodafone and already had some experience of M2M. Saadani says Vodafone was the first choice when examining the possibilities of international M2M. We matched up very well our thinking and Vodafone s vision. We wanted to examine where M2M was going in the future and how our product might develop. Saadani s goal is for the next generation of DefiCommunicators to be pre-installed in all new AEDs: For that to happen we need to codevelop further with the producers and obtain approval from the medical authorities. That has to be the next step. We want to be able to offer the A-Z of services. Maintenance should be the basic; we want to connect AEDs with local first aid providers, to generate reports, to be fully connected to the relevant health providers. This is the future.
24Care case study We matched up very well our thinking and Vodafone s vision. We wanted to examine where M2M was going in the future and how our product might develop. Waïl Saadani, Director, 24Care The solution The connectivity solution uses Vodafone M2M SIMS on its Global M2M Platform. 24Care then uses an SMS application server to allow the AED to send text messages to a number specified by each AED owner. This could be a team of first responders or service managers; in the event of an issue, the device delivers an automatic alert. AED owners can log on to an online platform to check the status of each device. New AEDs can easily be added to the system and device history can be accessed immediately. The benefits to the business It is fair to say that the 24Care solution is helping to save lives. More defibrillators are in working order. For owners of AEDs this means a better environment and compliance with health and safety requirements. The online platform means AED owners can plan physical maintenance visits more proactively and there are fewer unnecessary service visits. This reduces service costs. Where there is an issue, the AEDs can be repaired quickly, resulting in more AEDs working more of the time. The DefiCommunicator launched in the Netherlands in October 2012. It is already in use with local authorities and health providers. Saadani has already international demand for the DefiCommunicator: The Vodafone Global Platform makes this easy. Vodafone has also introduced us to the National Heart Association here in the Netherlands, which has proved extremely useful, says Saadani. The launch has generated a lot of coverage and we re starting to see an acceptance that AEDs need some kind of automatic monitoring device, that it s not good enough for them to be sat broken and unnoticed. Partnering with Vodafone opens doors for us.
5 Executive summary Business need: 24Care is an ehealth solutions provider, based in the Netherlands. To underpin the launch of its new product, a mobile monitoring solution for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), needs a connectivity partner to ensure secure, consistent communication across Europe. Solution: Vodafone Global M2M Platform provides an international M2M solution integrated into 24Care s DefiCommunicator devices. It ensures consistent European pricing, Europe-wide coverage and a simple configuration. In addition, Vodafone commercial teams also help with new business introductions. Business benefits: Real-time monitoring of defibrillators reduces the need for maintenance visits, improving efficiency and reducing costs Consistent European pricing and coverage, plus simple configuration, enables 24Care to map its international expansion Regardless of the AED manufacturer, the solution is able to monitor each individual unit with its own features and protocols without disrupting performance Partnering with Vodafone opens doors for us. Waïl Saadani, Director, 24Care
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