NeWTS on the Move
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of Neonatal Wireless Transmission System for remote monitoring – a feasibility study
IRAS ID
325210
Contact name
Kathryn Beardsall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
The NeWTS study highlighted benefits of wireless vital sign monitoring including, improved ease for parents to interact with their babies during skin-to-skin contact, whilst staff indicated that reducing wires and cables would improve transfer between incubators/departments and/or hospitals.
Children undergoing emergency ambulance transfer will typically have several clinical attachments delivering vital clinical support for example, invasive respiratory support, invasive blood pressure monitoring, and infusion lines. In addition, vital sign monitoring used in this environment includes, but is not limited to ECG sensors (heart activity), thermistors (skin temperature), and pulse oximeters (blood oxygen saturation, SpO2). These sensors are connected by wires to a visual monitoring unit next to the patient. The monitoring unit must be secured to ensure no device movement during transport and therefore the wired connections place limitations on monitor positioning. Support to the patient-facing clinical team who transfer patients across the East of England and beyond, is currently provided remotely by senior clinicians based at CUH who rely on verbal information from the clinical team in the ambulance.
NeWTS on the move is a single-centre proof of concept study to test remote wireless vital sign monitoring. Data transmission will be; (1) locally by Bluetooth to a receiver and research clinical monitor in the ambulance to replicate vital sign observations during transport; (2) via 4G and cloud storage to a control computer based at CUH to replicate remote monitoring where senior clinicians could observe real-time data.
As this is a proof of concept study, participants will be Health Care Professionals (HCP) who work for PaNDR and provide clinical support during ambulance transfers.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
23/WS/0091
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion