Wyld Networks helps prevent spread of COVID-19 in Scottish care homes
Specialist app will provide safer environments and better communications by creating geozones
Wyld Networks has signed an agreement with Highland Health Ventures (HHVL) to test and deploy its mobile mesh technology into care homes in Scotland to help protect residents, staff and visitors from COVID-19 and other viruses.
HHVL is an independent company with a collaboration agreement with NHS Highland for the purpose of developing innovations in healthcare.
The Wyld technology will provide digital access and anonymised social distance monitoring and alerting through a mobile app and a mesh wireless network of connected smartphones and Internet of Things devices.
Supporting innovation across the healthcare system is more important than ever and will be central to securing transformation and improved care
Wyld and HHVL have already started the first project for implementation in a care home in Scotland, while the technology may also have broader applications in helping employees at other businesses get back to work.
Statistics from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that more than half of the recorded coronavirus deaths in Scotland over recent weeks were in care homes.
And data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports that 12,526 care home residents have died due to xoronavirus in England and Wales during the four months to May.
“Supporting innovation across the healthcare system is more important than ever and will be central to securing transformation and improved care,” said Frances Hines, research, development and innovation manager in NHS Highland.
“Creating the conditions for more-collaborative approaches to innovation and enabling the adoption of cost-effective new technologies will be key, and we are pleased to be working together with Wyld and HHVL to deliver innovative potential solutions for care homes.”
How it works
Wyld’s innovative mesh technology harnesses the power of people’s mobile phones without relying on connections to cellular or Wi-Fi networks.
Data simply finds the quickest and easiest route by hopping between phones to deliver notifications, alerts and other content quickly and reliably, while also accurately measuring social distancing.
The system is also able to create virtual geozones around the care home and particularly-sensitive or quarantined areas to control access as well as dynamic personal two-metre geozones around everyone with the app.
All staff and visitors will have to download the mobile application and input COVID-19 test results and enter any symptoms into a self-diagnostic algorithm embedded in the application to create a risk profile. Residents without a smartphone could be given electronic wristbands or similar.
We hope the system will provide a model that can be adopted more widely to deal with the current crisis, as well as deliver post-COVID benefits
Anyone approaching a geozone will be sent a message instantly to let them know if they are allowed to enter.
By using Wyld’s real-time data analytics platform, care home managers will be able to contact and advise anyone who has been in close contact with someone who is tested positive with COVID-19 or develops symptoms.
“Our mesh technology was originally designed for applications such as major sporting events, music festivals, retail centres and transport hubs to deliver relevant, location-aware information,” said Wyld Network chief executive, Alastair Williamson.
“But it quickly became clear that our Wyld mesh could play a vital role in protecting residents, staff and visitors in care homes, hospitals and hospices.
“We hope the system created with Highland Health Ventures will provide a model that can be adopted more widely to deal with the current crisis, as well as deliver post-COVID benefits.”
