Evelina London Children’s Hospital treats thousands of children, some of whom require treatment in the PICU. Usually, nurses would keep a journal for patients to help them remember their time, and keep parents and relatives informed on the latest developments. This became particularly important when COVID-19 struck and visiting hours were restricted.
The pandemic prompted the hospital to think of more interactive ways to capture each patient’s stay in the PICU. A digital platform seemed like a natural evolution; however, Evelina London Children’s Hospital didn’t have time for a formal market evaluation. Instead, it reached out to its former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who now works for Fujitsu.
“COVID-19 had radically restricted family access to patients, so we wanted to find a digital solution that could improve awareness and involvement of parents and carers in the day-to-day progress of their child in the PICU,” explains Andrew Nyman, Paediatric Critical Care Consultant at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. “To speed the process, I contacted Fujitsu to see if it could help in the development of an interactive app.”