Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) is building an automated digital infrastructure to capture and preserve detailed physiological data from critically ill babies and children for research and future clinical use.
The Big Data for Small People program will capture high-fidelity data generated by bedside medical devices, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory activity, waveforms and device alarms.
The data will be collected from paediatric and neonatal intensive care units and operating theatres and retained beyond the immediate episode of care, allowing clinicians and researchers to review significant events, investigate complex cases and undertake clinical audit and quality improvement.
Philips is supporting the program using its High-fidelity Data Export enterprise clinical software, which continuously captures and preserves physiological signals generated by bedside devices.
SCHN Paediatric Anaesthetist Associate Professor Justin Skowno said much of the information generated during critical care had previously been difficult to retain and use after treatment.
“Big Data for Small People allows valuable clinical information to continue supporting learning and discovery long after this care has been delivered,” A/Prof Skowno said.
The infrastructure is also intended to provide a foundation for future advanced visualisation, automated analysis, machine learning and AI-enabled clinical decision support.
Philips Australia and New Zealand Acute Care Informatics Lead Jimi Ashford said subtle changes in physiological information could be particularly important when treating critically ill babies and children.
“By preserving that information beyond the bedside, we’re giving clinicians and researchers the opportunity to look more deeply at complex cases, learn from previous care and develop new approaches that may support better outcomes,” Mr Ashford said.
Philips APAC Head of Acute Care Informatics Joseph Cain said the project was intended to provide a pathway between clinical data, research and its eventual use at the point of care.
“This collaboration is not simply about capturing more information. It is about helping clinicians and researchers transform that information into knowledge, and knowledge into better care,” Mr Cain said.
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