Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with digital health company Isansys Lifecare as part of a trial to support at home patient monitoring and reduce pressures on the healthcare system.
The collaboration will see Alder Hey make use of the Patient Status Engine (PSE) - wireless patient monitoring system - as part of a new research trial, led by its iDigital department and community division.
The technology will allow clinicians at Alder Hey to monitor young patients at home as if they were in hospital, providing the patients’ vital signs continuously at a central monitoring station or on mobile devices 24 hours a day and ultimately integrating this key data into the electronic medical record system. With this information clinicians and community care teams can work together to provide personalised care plans for the young patients at home, eliminating the stress and disruption of admission, or readmission, to the hospital.
The PSE is a wireless patient monitoring platform incorporating unobtrusive wearable sensors which allows clinicians to monitor patients in hospital and at home by automatically collecting real-time physiological data such as heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature. Real time analysis of this data provides intelligent alerts and early warnings to care teams back in the hospital or in the community. This information enables faster and more certain decision making, providing opportunities for earlier and potentially simpler interventions. Knowing when a patient is in need of on-site support and when they aren’t is a powerful way of reducing stress for the care team.
Carol Rowlands, head of nursing, community and mental health division at the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very excited to be teaming up with Isansys to deliver a first-of-its-kind technological solution that will enable our clinicians to safely monitor patients remotely, collecting data around the clock for timely intervention.
“Our patients and families will benefit from being in the comfort of their own homes with the assurance that our clinicians are regularly reviewing the data and being alerted if any vital signs are out of the ordinary.”
With seasonal illnesses circulating, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus, flu, - alongside COVID-19 – the i-digital project will ensure that the hospital can continue to treat sick patients and promptly discharge those who could be monitored in community settings.
Keith Errey, CEO Isansys, based in Oxfordshire, said: “Isansys is excited to collaborate with Alder Hey to help to build a healthier future for children and young people using digital technology.
“Our PSE will enable more patients to leave hospital safely and be monitored in their own homes by healthcare professionals.
“Our technology is designed not only to help doctors and nurses to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care, but to make it easier for them to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
“It is a privilege for us to be working with all the amazing and dedicated people at the Alder Hey and surrounding community. We look forward to supporting their great efforts in improving the lives of their young patients and families.”
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is one in only four stand-alone children’s hospitals in the UK and provides care to more than 330,000 children, young people, and their families every year. It is a Global Centre of Excellence in children’s health, providing integrated healthcare for children and young people, as well as specialist services for patients across the UK.
