Technology advances in home NIV monitoring

The use of NIV to improve mortality and morbidity in children with complex medical conditions has been well-established since the 1980s. A survey of NIV usage in the UK in 2019 identified a 2.5-fold increase in the use of NIV for children in the last 10 years, with a move towards more children using mask ventilation and fewer using tracheostomy, an increase in children with conditions such as OSA requiring ventilation and more than 95% children being managed at home. Demand for home monitoring exceeds the resources available and therefore incorporation of technology into the clinical pathway has the potential to improve patient outcomes.

Modern ventilators include in-built hardware and software that can collect and transmit data to the cloud for clinicians to access. The reliability and the extent to which they influence clinical outcomes for children has yet to be demonstrated in large multicentre studies.

This presentation will review the technologies available, including built-in ventilator monitoring systems, tele-monitoring systems and platforms and portable home sleep monitoring devices. The evidence for home telemonitoring in children will be discussed as well as the potential implications for clinical use, research objectives and the cautions and barriers to widespread implementation.