Predictive AI: how Air Liquide Healthcare supports 90,000 patients in the Valencia region, Spain

Air Liquide Healthcare has won a historic contract in the Valencia region: what does this milestone represent for home healthcare in Spain?

Manuel Pacheco: This is truly a historic milestone for us, as it is the largest contract ever awarded in Spain for the home care of patients living with respiratory conditions. We will be taking care of 90,000 people suffering from pathologies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea. This contract consolidates our leading position in the Spanish market. It also reflects the deep trust that public health authorities place in us, echoing our recent success in the Community of Madrid, where we were awarded a contract to care for 70,000 patients.

Faced with such a competitive tender, how did predictive AI and human expertise make the difference in your proposal?

Manuel Pacheco: We achieved the highest technical score thanks to three fundamental pillars: comprehensive care protocols personalized to patient profiles, a highly qualified multidisciplinary team, and the integration of cutting-edge digital technologies.

Let me explain how our digital solutions meet patient needs and aim to improve their quality of life. We are implementing an approach based on continuous telemonitoring right from the very beginning of care for 100% of patients. One of our key strengths lies in our use of AI algorithms, which enable us to analyze overall adherence trends among patients with sleep apnea so that we can focus our support efforts on those who need it most. Fundamentally, our philosophy is built on the idea that technological advancements and digital tools only deliver their full potential when backed by the expertise of our multidisciplinary  professionals. By combining predictive AI with our teams' expertise, we can provide reinforced support with the objective to deliver the best outcomes.

One of our strengths lies in the use of predictive AI algorithms designed to anticipate overall adherence trends

Speaking of our teams, I want to emphasize that our proposal relies heavily on their expertise. They are a highly specialized and multidisciplinary team, including doctors, nurses, technicians, and healthcare assistants. AI collects and analyzes data regarding physiological parameters and treatment usage, enabling our support teams to help optimize patient care. They intervene quickly and alert doctors so they can proactively adjust treatments. Beyond their expertise, I want to commend their unwavering commitment, which is one of our greatest strengths. Their dedication and professionalism have been proven multiple times during recent crises, such as the 2024 DANA floods and the power blackout of 2025. 

You mentioned a data analysis algorithm designed to optimize adherence monitoring: how does it actually work in practice?

Manuel Pacheco: For over 40 years, Air Liquide Healthcare has been supporting millions of people worldwide living with sleep apnea, and we pioneered the implementation of telemonitoring back in the 2010s. For more than a decade, in compliance with data protection regulations governing personal and medical information, we have stored, organized, and analyzed billions of data points from telemonitoring—including device usage time, potential leaks, and residual apneas—across a vast number of patient profiles. Based on this data and working in close collaboration with the scientific community, we developed this algorithm. It cross-references daily collected data with our existing database to help us identify overall trends in adherence. The goal is to enable our teams and healthcare professionals to adapt the level of care to patients’ needs by providing enhanced support to those who who have difficulty adhering to their treatment.

Adapt the level of service to patient needs

How does this success in Valencia fit into your global strategy for home healthcare services and the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system?

Manuel Pacheco: Our strategy is to deliver ever-greater value to healthcare professionals, patients, and the healthcare system as a whole. This contract in Valencia perfectly illustrates our commitment to bring value in Healthcare, supporting  adherence-focused care models with the goal of improving health outcomes for patients at the lowest possible cost to society. Allow me to clarify: by promoting better adherence, we know that we are helping to reduce the risk of accidents or cardiovascular complications associated with sleep apnea. In the long term, a patient who adheres to treatment is less likely to seek emergency, which eases the strain on public health resources. This is how we help make the healthcare system truly more sustainable.