News
Sony Group’s SMN Introduces “KarteCo Workwell” for Mental Health Measures, Building a New Model for Employee Well-being and Health Management
- January 15, 2025
Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroyuki Iwasaki, hereinafter referred to as “MDV”) is pleased to announce that SMN Corporation (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Naoki Harayama, hereinafter referred to as “SMN”), a member of the Sony Group, has newly adopted the personal health record (PHR) system “KarteCo Workwell” for corporate use. SMN aims to enhance employees’ mental health and create a new approach to health management by integrating objectively measured data with employees’ self-assessments.
Easy Measurement of Autonomic Nervous System Status via Smartphone Camera
KarteCo Workwell allows users to measure their autonomic nervous system status simply by filming their face with a smartphone camera for 10 seconds. The system analyzes heart rate, respiratory rate, and the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves to visualize employees’ fatigue and stress levels. This simple yet high-precision solution is designed to support health management across various industries.
In industries such as digital marketing and IT solutions, where long working hours and mental stress are significant issues, ensuring employees’ mental well-being is increasingly important. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average monthly overtime hours in IT-related companies often exceed 40 hours, with health problems related to mental stress steadily increasing. KarteCo Workwell offers an effective solution to these challenges.
Breaking the Reliance on Subjective Stress Assessments
MDV, driven by the belief that “health supports the true growth of individuals and companies,” seeks to address the industry’s health management challenges. These challenges include infrequent employee stress checks and overreliance on subjective stress assessments, which often fall short of providing adequate care. This initiative employs the Emo Scan Approach to achieve continuous and objective monitoring of employees’ mental and physical states, thereby building a new health management model.
Through this collaboration with SMN and other Sony Group companies, MDV aims to contribute to resolving these issues and fostering a society where working is enjoyable.
Practical Mental Health Solutions for Daily Work
As part of this initiative, MDV provides a mechanism that allows SMN employees to use KarteCo Workwell easily during their daily work routines to monitor their fatigue and stress levels. By making employees more aware of the usefulness of KarteCo Workwell, they can engage in self-care, including mental health management.
Additionally, the collaboration aims to extend the use of KarteCo Workwell to other Sony Group companies and promote the expansion of the customer base for Sony Biz Networks Inc.’s cloud-based attendance management system, “AKASHI,” which is linked to KarteCo Workwell.
Together with SMN, MDV strives to create a work environment where employees find joy in their work and realize a practical model for comprehensive health management.