Improving care model for congenital heart diseases in paediatric patients using home telemonitoring of vital signs via biomedical sensors

About 1% of newborns have congenital heart disease at birth. This generally does not imply death, but it leads to multiple hospitalizations and outpatient visits. In addition, it results in a negative impact on quality of life for the children themselves and for their families. Telemedicine platforms can be employed in this field, to reduce the number of hospital admissions and check-ups and to improve the communication between parents/caregivers and the hospital staff. The aim of the AIR CARDIO project is to evaluate the impact, efficiency and effectiveness of a home telemonitoring system for children with congenital heart disease. The vital signs (i.e. ECG, heart rate, body temperature, body weight and oxygen saturation) are collected by some biomedical sensors and sent to a smart-hub. The smart-hub proceeds then to the synchronization with the e-Health care center, enabling the doctors to evaluate the patient’s parameters. Some questionnaires are also provided to parents/caregivers through the application, for the evaluation of the effects of the system on quality of life. In the clinical trial, which lasts 12 months, 45 patients are recruited from the U.O.C. Paediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiology - Monasterio Foundation. Preliminary results highlight suitability of the sensors selected for children and good usability of the smart-hub technology.