Partnership to deploy digital health technologies in paediatric care

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with Los Angeles-headquartered KidsX Accelerator to deploy digital health technologies in paediatric care.  

KidsX Accelerator will work with the CW Innovation programme - led by the Trust and its charity CW+ - to codevelop and test solutions with early-stage digital health companies that meet the needs of paediatric patients and their families.    

Chris Chaney, chief executive of CW+, said: “We are excited to work with KidsX Accelerator as part of our expanding CW Innovation programme, which introduces new innovations that improve patient care, patient experience and operational efficiency. We have fast-tracked a raft of new technologies and innovations over the course of the last year; with KidsX we are looking to grow our portfolio of ‘test and scale’ projects to ensure we’re meeting the specific needs of our paediatric patients too.”    

The KidsX Accelerator is a 13-week virtual program with 40 paediatric departments and hospitals across the world. Early-stage technology companies are introduced to the relevant paediatric departments and hospital decision makers to develop and test their product in a real-world clinical setting. The entrepreneurs are given help and advice from the hospital teams to build and launch innovations that meet the unique needs of paediatric patients and their families.   

Omkar Kulkarni, MPH, chief innovation officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and managing director of KidsX, said: “As an emerging leader in healthcare innovation in the UK, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an ideal member. Innovation in paediatric health has not advanced at the rate it has in adult healthcare. It’s our aim to address this together; children’s needs are different to those of adults, and we aim to help entrepreneurs develop solutions that suit the pressing needs of paediatric patients and their families.”    

The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for a rapid increase in the adoption and use of digital health technologies in Trust hospitals, with many remaining an integral part of daily patient care.

Bruno Botelho, the Trust’s deputy COO & director of digital operations said: “Regardless of age, our patients expect these technological advancements to continue as a part of day-to-day care, and look to us to adopt the latest technologies to make their treatment and care more streamlined and comfortable.   

“Our work with accelerator partners, such our longstanding partnership with DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, complement this great opportunity with KidsX. These collaborations help us to deliver innovations that meet the emerging needs of patients of all ages, and also facilitate the sharing of experiences and learnings with colleagues both in the UK and around the world.”