ClimaSalud-IA achieves clinical validation at Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, advancing solutions to anticipate climate-related health risks

The project, led by researchers from the B2SLab research group, integrates meteorological, environmental and clinical data to anticipate the effects of extreme heat on vulnerable patients.

Validation in a real clinical setting at the Hospital Universitari MútuaTerrassa has demonstrated the feasibility of the solution and its potential to support clinical decision-making in identifying and monitoring patients particularly vulnerable to extreme heat events.

By: Sonia Mañé

Category: Research

Published: May 14, 2026

On March 27, 2026, the ClimaSalud-IA project officially presented the results and conclusions of its pilot study, showcasing how artificial intelligence can support healthcare systems in anticipating the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. Developed by researchers linked to the Xartec Salut network, the initiative was selected as the winning proposal of the Vallès Occidental Hospital Artificial Intelligence Challenge (RHIA-VO), promoted by the Fundació Leitat and the Fundació Docència i Investigació MútuaTerrassa, in collaboration with the Cambra de Comerç de Terrassa. Through its validation in a real clinical environment, the project has demonstrated the potential of AI-driven tools to support risk stratification and improve healthcare preparedness during extreme heat episodes.

The project has been developed by researchers Dr. Alexandre Perera Lluna, Dr. Flavio Palmieri, Sergi Gosálvez Vidal, Blanca Alajeos and Jordi Fonollosa, members of the research group Bioinformatics and Biomedical Signals Laboratory (B2SLab) of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (IRIS) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). Their proposal combines meteorological, environmental and clinical data to create a tool capable of identifying chronic patients at higher risk of deterioration during extreme heat events.

This tool exemplifies the value of research developed within the Xartec Salut network and its ability to generate solutions with real impact.

The pilot to validate ClimaSalud-IA was deployed over three months at the Hospital Universitari MútuaTerrassa, with a cohort of 221.193 patients, in close collaboration with clinical professionals and technical teams at the hospital.

This real-world validation has been key to assessing both the clinical usefulness and the feasibility of integrating the solution into healthcare practice.

The results confirm that:

  • The model detects the impact of heat on health and enables the identification of risk subgroups
  • Clear and actionable alert thresholds have been defined
  • The solution is functional and can be integrated as a clinical service

Overall, ClimaSalud-IA is positioned as a clinical decision-support tool with the potential to improve quality of care, efficiency and sustainability of the healthcare system. It not only enables patient vulnerability stratification, but also supports the definition of operational alert levels and clinical and care planning decision-making.

In this context, ClimaSalud-IA illustrates how research developed in academic environments can access clinical validation settings and move towards real-world implementation in healthcare systems. Initiatives like this highlight the importance of supporting projects from early research stages through to transfer and adoption.

From Xartec Salut, work is carried out as a connecting element, facilitating the transition from scientific knowledge to market and contributing to the development of technological solutions with a direct impact on health and societal well-being.

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