Medical device maker Masimo is the latest company to develop a solution to help businesses, schools and other organizations reopen. Today, it announced the release of SafetyNet-OPEN, a web and mobile app solution that can screen, trace and manage users as they return to work.

The back-to-work tool builds upon Masimo's SafetyNet remote monitoring system that was developed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to help hospitals care for patients in non-traditional settings and circumstances.

When used together, the patient management system can be scaled to the level of entire organizations. It identifies users who are most at risk of infection, traces possible exposures, monitors users’ vital signs and generates daily risk scores that direct users to stay home, get tested or seek treatment.

Further, SafetyNet-OPEN can be augmented with other Masimo devices to offer a more in-depth management platform. Organizations can choose how to implement the solution into their workflow because every aspect from the daily risk-assessment questions to group assignments for contact tracing and more can be customized.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Now that national vaccination efforts are well underway, the potential to return to in-person work is growing. The U.S. has administered 52.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and new cases have been steadily declining since the peak in January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, getting employees back to the workplace is no simple task, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. It recently released a back-to-work checklist for employers that includes measures such as implementing health screening procedures, establishing physical distancing measures, phasing in employees' return to work and more.

THE LARGER TREND

Reopening businesses and schools has been a priority since the early days of the pandemic. As such, leaders in the health industry have lent their expertise to the efforts.

Last summer, Verily, CVS and Fitbit all released back-to-work solutions for businesses.

With the vaccine now on the market, efforts have shifted slightly to ease the administrative burden of mass inoculation. Google, Zocdoc and Notable Health have all launched vaccine support tools this year.

Outside of creating COVID-19-related tools, Masimo scored a pair of FDA clearances last year for its Rad-G pulse oximeter and its O3 Regional Oximeter.

ON THE RECORD

"As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, organizations around the world are struggling with the immense challenge of balancing the health and safety of employees, students, and members with the economic and educational needs of their communities," said Joe Kiani, founder and CEO of Masimo, in a statement.

"Masimo has developed numerous technologies to help patients and clinicians stay safe during the pandemic. With SafetyNet-OPEN, we've combined our decades of expertise in patient monitoring with our latest innovations in automation and connectivity to help organizations confront this challenge and better manage future ones."