The Spanish Health System (SNS) has been considered one of the best systems in the world for several decades.

The ratio of GDP spending to the quality of services is among the most efficient in the world.

This may change drastically due to an aging population, the associated increase in chronic diseases, and the decrease in healthcare resources that have been observed in recent years. This means that, the way things are going, the sustainability of the SNS will be at risk in the coming years if appropriate measures are not taken to alleviate this situation.

Some data points that support this statement:

• Life expectancy: Spain is one of the countries with the highest life expectancy in the world. In 2024, life expectancy at birth is approximately 83 years for men and 86 years for women.

• An elderly population: currently, around 20% of the Spanish population is 65 years of age or older. This percentage is increasing due to the low birth rate and increased longevity.

• Chronic diseases: Chronic diseases are prevalent among the elderly population. The most common include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

• Spending on chronic diseases

  • Current expenditure: chronic diseases account for approximately 70% of total healthcare spending in Spain. Of this percentage, 80% is for primary care and 60% for hospital care.

  • Spending on chronic diseases is expected to continue to increase in the coming years due to the aging population and the increasing prevalence of these diseases.

• Aging Trends by 2030

  • Demographic projections: By 2030, it is estimated that 30% of the Spanish population will be 65 years old or more. This significant increase poses major challenges in terms of health care, economic resources and social policies.

  • Furthermore, 65% of these people will have multiple pathologies, that is to say, more than one simultaneous illness.

• Dependency ratio: The dependency ratio, which measures the proportion of dependent people (under 16 and over 64) in relation to the working-age population, will also increase, peaking around 2050.

• From 2 years ago and until 3 years from now, around 80,000 doctors out of the 200,000 doctors in Spain are expected to retire.

As you can see with all this data, we will have to do more with less. This is why a profound digital transformation of healthcare is urgent and necessary.

A very specific area of this digitalization is telemonitoring of chronic patients. In the digital era, patient telemonitoring has become an essential tool for improving the quality of healthcare. 

For healthcare professionals, efficiency and accessibility are critical issues. Telemonitoring enables healthcare professionals to access real-time data, which facilitates informed and rapid decision-making. GMV's Antari® Platform offers an intuitive interface that integrates data from multiple sources, improving patient management efficiency. It is a prime example of how technology can transform healthcare management, benefiting both healthcare professionals and patients.

With seamless device integration: Antari® supports the integration of medical devices and wearables through its BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) design. The platform can collect data from a variety of devices, minimizing integration effort with healthcare interoperability standards. This also allows patients to use their own devices for monitoring, promoting accessibility and convenience, with no need for medical devices.

All this leads, for example, to an improvement in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, where telemonitoring is crucial. Antari® is used for continuous and detailed follow-up, helping physicians to adjust treatments in a proactive and personalized manner with advanced remote monitoring. Antari® offers telemonitoring capabilities that healthcare professionals can use to track patient progress remotely. The platform provides a holistic view of patients, including graphs of clinical variables, care plan adherence, and alert notifications. This allows practitioners to identify potential problems early and adjust care plans as needed.

Another improvement of telemonitoring of patients is a reduced burden of care. Being able to monitor patients remotely, practitioners can reduce the need for in-person visits, freeing up resources and time for more critical cases. This is especially important in high-demand situations, such as during pandemics.

Another issue that is not trivial is multidisciplinary collaboration: The platform facilitates collaboration between different specialists, allowing for more coordinated and holistic care. Real-time data sharing improves communication and treatment planning.

And from the patients' point of view, the convenience and peace of mind offered by telemonitoring to receive care without leaving home. The Antari® Platform allows patients to feel safer, knowing that their health is being constantly monitored, empowering them through access to their own health data, actively participating in the management of their condition. Antari® provides educational and follow-up tools that promote self-care and adherence to treatment.

A critical issue is early detection of problems. Continuous monitoring enables early detection of abnormalities, which can prevent serious complications. Patients can receive immediate alerts and recommendations, improving health outcomes.

All of this leads to a reduction in costs. By minimizing the need for hospitalizations and emergency visits, telemonitoring can significantly reduce the costs associated with health care. This is beneficial for both patients and the healthcare system in general.

Patients can interact and take control by using the patient portal for self-management. Antari® empowers patients to actively participate in their care through a dedicated portal. Patients can view their care plans, record information, communicate with the care team, and access personalized educational resources. This feature encourages self-management and patient responsibility in their own recovery process.

One of the core features of GMV's Antari® Platform is regulatory compliance and security. Antari® was developed with a focus on data privacy and security. The platform complies with key regulations, such as GDPR, and applies security best practices, including encryption of data in transit and at rest. This ensures the protection of sensitive patient information and fosters trust in the use of the platform. Furthermore, by integrating artificial intelligence in the telemonitoring processes, Antari® can apply artificial intelligence based on business rules for patient stratification and risk detection based on the information collected. In addition, thanks to the platform's interoperable design, Antari® enables AI-based models and services to be integrated into telemonitoring processes specific to particular pathologies and user profiles. Antari® can use artificial intelligence based on business rules to stratify patients and detect risks based on the information collected. In addition, thanks to the platform's interoperable design, Antari® enables AI-based models and services to be integrated into telemonitoring processes specific to particular pathologies or user profiles. 

Conclusion

GMV's Antari® platform represents a significant advance in patient telemonitoring, offering tangible benefits for healthcare professionals and patients alike. In a world where technology is redefining healthcare, tools like Antari® are essential to provide more efficient, accessible, and personalized care, under the highest quality, technological and functional standards.

Author: Carlos Royo