The company specialized in nutrition and cancer, located in AgrotecUV, in the business environment of the Science Park of the University of Valencia, wins the e-Dea Health 2023 Challenge with an assistant for chronic patients in rural areas within the framework of the seventh edition of the contest in which the Pfizer Foundation promotes, together with the Ministry of Health and Consumption of the Andalusian Regional Government, the challenge of finding technological solutions to improve the continuity of care for chronic patients in rural areas
Ibions, a startup from Alicante in the healthcare sector, part of the High Technology Incubator for Sustainable Food, AgrotecUV (UV-FPCUV), at the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV), has won the e-Dea Health 2023 Challenge with its project 'Yolanda', a virtual nurse for the remote care of complex chronic patients in rural areas once they have been discharged from hospital. The creators of the startup collected the award at an event at the Malaga Biomedical Research Institute and Nanomedicine Platform.
The startup designed a tool to address the needs detected by the team in this group of patients, such as loneliness, barriers in communication with the health system and confusion with their multiple treatments. With a simple and intuitive design to ensure its use by the elderly, they will be able to receive video calls made by an avatar on a daily basis to check their general situation and detect possible warning signs to avoid preventable complications. The aim is to improve the quality of life of patients and the sustainability of the healthcare system.
The prize consists of an economic endowment of 2,500 euros and the possibility of participating in the selection process for a three-week scholarship to participate in the next edition of Richi Social Entrepreneur, in an innovation ecosystem in Boston (United States) to acquire the contacts and knowledge necessary to further develop their proposal.
"These kinds of tools can help patients a lot, but also caregivers and the healthcare system," Sara Bañón, co-founder of Ibions
"We would like to thank the Pfizer Foundation and the Junta de Andalucía for giving us the opportunity to participate in this experience, which has allowed us to put ourselves in the patients' shoes so that we can propose improvement tools aimed at real needs," said Julio Madrigal Matute, CEO and co-founder of IBIONS. On the other hand, Sara Bañón Escandell, co-founder of IBIONS, wanted to convey the concern she suffered during her years in the hospital as an internist spending consultation with complex chronic patients. "One of my greatest fears was to discharge them knowing the difficulties for the close control, so necessary in these patients, that currently exists in the healthcare system. This type of tool can be of great help to patients, but also to caregivers and the healthcare system," she stresses.
Madrigal also shared his enthusiasm about participating in the challenge, noting that they applied because "we believed the challenge was an ideal example of synergy between the public sector, which identifies the problems of its patients (Junta de Andalucía), and the private sector, in this case a company with the ability to mobilize resources in the healthcare sector (Pfizer) and a startup (IBIONS) with the ability to develop technological innovations that offer immediate solutions." "In our case, we seek to ensure that anyone, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status, has access to quality oncology nutritional services, transforming the way in which oncology patients are treated," he concludes.
"We believed that the challenge was an ideal example of synergy between the public sector, which identifies the problems of its patients (Junta de Andalucía), and the private sector, in this case a company with the ability to mobilize resources in the health sector (Pfizer) and a startup (IBIONS) with the ability to develop technological innovations that offer immediate solutions", Julio Madrigal, CEO of Ibions
Commitment to research and innovation
The winning project has received as recognition an economic endowment of 2,500 euros and the possibility to participate in the selection process for a three-week scholarship to participate in the next edition of Richi Social Entrepenerus, an innovation ecosystem in Boston (USA) to acquire the necessary contacts and knowledge to further develop the company's proposal.
"Winning this competition represents a new opportunity for IBIONS to continue making an impact in the healthcare sector, influencing not only patients, but also the public healthcare system and healthcare professionals. IBIONS' mission is to ensure that all people with chronic and complex diseases feel heard and accompanied, with hope and the ability to lead a dignified life. These projects and initiatives, such as that of the Pfizer Foundation, make it possible to give a voice to problems that previously remained in the dark," describes Madrigal.
Isaac Túnez, Secretary General for Public Health and Health Research, Development and Innovation of the Junta de Andalucía, explained that "in Andalusia we are firmly committed to research and innovation in healthcare based on an essential aim: to improve people's health. Under this premise, we support initiatives of this type that can offer a better quality of life to people who, due to their place of residence, age or training, have a greater complexity in the continuity of care, thus guaranteeing equity in healthcare". "Furthermore," commented Tunis, "this commitment to innovation also represents a clear orientation towards the development of an ecosystem that enables the generation of employment and wealth thanks to the creation of new healthcare technologies.
The president of the Pfizer Foundation, Sergio Rodríguez, stressed that "thanks to these innovative ideas and collaboration with healthcare institutions we can achieve solutions that have an impact "that entrepreneurs and innovative people are needed to develop technological solutions that accompany patients during their illness, that help healthcare professionals in the prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of pathologies. This benefits us all.
"The platform is based on Artificial Intelligence to be able to offer a personalized service, with the same quality, scalable and sustainable for the healthcare system. We are going to carry out a pilot clinical trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of its platform and thus, hand in hand with clinical scientific data, be able to help many more people who need it within the public health system"
Nutrition and cancer
In recent decades there has been an increase in life expectancy and, with it, the prevalence of chronic diseases and chronic multipathology has also increased. "In fact, 70% of people over the age of 65 now live with an average of four chronic diseases, pathologies that also affect frailty, already present in 20% to 30% of the population. This fragility is especially reflected in the rural world, where it is more necessary to promote digital transformation to bring healthcare activity closer to areas with great geographic dispersion," say the startup's managers.
In addition to this project, the Ibions team specializes in nutrition and cancer. Since its launch in 2021, they have cared for more than 50 cancer patients, offering highly personalized nutritional treatment and close medical follow-up. The company is preparing a telemedicine platform from which to offer these nutritional services effectively, while maintaining the possibility of attending online to all those who need it. In addition, among its plans for the near future are the implementation of its solution in hospitals as part of the medical services portfolio and, later on, to be able to make the international leap and expand its solution to hospitals in Latin America.
"The platform is based on Artificial Intelligence to be able to offer a personalized service, with the same quality, scalable and sustainable for the healthcare system. We are going to carry out a pilot clinical trial to demonstrate the efficacy of its platform and thus, hand in hand with clinical scientific data, be able to help many more people who need it within the public healthcare system," concludes Madrigal.
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