Listen to this episode below, or on , or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can download the transcript below.
This episode is the first of a series on research and child health and discusses the role of technology in transforming child health. Nish Talawila Da Camara, Head of Research and Evidence speaks with Professor Paul Dimitri, Director of Research and Innovation at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and paediatric endocrinology consultant. Paul is also RCPCH Vice President for Science and Research and is leading on the development of the .
What is child health technology and why does it matter?
Child health technology is the use of digital tools, data and innovation to improve the health development of children and young people.
In this episode, Paul explains how emerging technologies can support diagnostics and personalised care at scale as physical and mental health needs increase and systems struggle to keep up.
Augmenting your clinical practice
Many fear that new technologies may replace the need for human expertise. Paul assures new digital health innovations instead offer an opportunity to augment clinician care. How so?
- Preventative care and less time at the hospital: AI supported screening, remote monitoring and digital tools allow families to manage conditions from home and allow clinicians to spot issues early.
- Less trial and error: Technologies such as digital twins, which are virtual models of a child's physiology, allow clinicians to personalise care and test treatments without risk.
- Integrated and safer data systems: Strong, coordinated infrastructure and assets for child health will ensure effective and integrated care across health, education and social systems. For example, new integrated child health records and the upcoming National Centre for Child Health Technology will enable integrated and safe data transfer between clinicians, families and children.
- More time for children and young people: AI advancements ranging from automated documentation and multi-modal foundation models allow clinicians to spend less time on admin and data analysis and more time with children and young people.
Tackling barriers to implementation
Inevitably, there are barriers to implementing digital health technologies in the NHS. However, Paul explains that these barriers are not technological.
- Lack of paediatric specific evidence: Historically, children have been excluded from clinical trials and therefore many child health technologies do not get adopted and digital standards for children do not exist. The solution, Paul argues, is to invest in paediatric research and regulatory frameworks that account for the unique attributes and ethical considerations of children and young people.
- The healthcare divide: A main concern with digital health technologies is that those with access to technology and technological education will benefit, while those without access will suffer. To overcome this healthcare divide, Paul suggests:
- creating the conditions for equitable access, such as teaching digital literacy in schools and community hubs, subsidising digital tools and broadband and transparently communicating to families how these technologies work
- co-designing technology alongside children and their families to reflect their realities such as cultural identity, language and socioeconomic situation, making technology more intuitive and accessible.
A defining moment
To conclude, Paul notes that the next five years will define the impact of digital technologies:
This is a moment of extraordinary possibility for children's health. We've got technologies that have been developed to help us detect problems earlier, to personalise care and support families in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago.
But the real opportunity isn't the technology itself. It's what we choose to do with it. If we commit to equity, to collaboration and to designing tools that genuinely work for children young people, what we'll be able to do is build a system that is more proactive, more humane and more effective than anything that we've had before.
How can you harness the opportunities of child health technologies in your practice?