Families of new-born infants with cleft lip and palate already face huge challenges supporting their children through the treatment, which can be exasperated when faced with long and demanding journeys to multiple appointments. This has been particularly challenging during the pandemic.
However, during that period, we have witnessed an acceleration in the provision and use of digital healthcare products and one of these innovations is currently being trialled at Leeds Children’s Hospital.
TytoCare digital solution, in partnership with the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, NHSX and the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network has produced a handheld assessment tool which offers virtual consultations and remote imaging capabilities to both the patient and the healthcare specialists.
Traditionally to discuss, determine and agree surgical options for the patient there would be a face-to-face meeting with the consultant, and this would also include the post-operative review, all within the hospital environment.
Now, with the introduction of the Tyto’s hand-held assessment tool, a nurse can visit the patient, in the comfort of their home, and capture a series of high-quality images, which they can share with the surgeon and enable them to make better-informed remote clinical decisions.
“Making best use of digital solutions and delivering more care remotely not only cuts down on travel it helps to avoid unnecessary visits to hospital, especially important right now when people might not want to be in a healthcare environment. Ultimately that means safer, greener, more accessible, and convenient healthcare – and people can stay in the comfort of their own home and in familiar. surroundings too.” - Emma Blair, lead nurse for the cleft lip and palate service at Leeds Children’s Hospital
The pilot of the TytoCare solution went live for cleft lip and palate patients on 30 June 2021, and will continue until April 2022. During this time the service will be working with the families to evaluate the pilot and determine if the TytoCare digital solution will be commissioned.
Did you know
- Clefts of the lip and palate are not uncommon and about one in every 700 babies born each year in the UK will have a cleft involving part of the lip or roof of the mouth.
- Leeds Children’s Hospital provides both secondary care and specialist tertiary care to the population of Leeds and the surrounding area. It is also a regional centre for a number of specialist services including cleft lip and palate surgery.