AH ANNUAL REPORT 2018
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‘Alder Play’<br />
A new approach to children’s<br />
stay in hospital has been<br />
launched that will revolutionise<br />
patient care at Alder Hey and<br />
across the NHS. Created by<br />
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital<br />
and Alder Hey Children’s<br />
Charity in partnership with<br />
leading digital studio ustwo<br />
and designed with the help<br />
of young patients, the Alder<br />
Play app is powered by the<br />
very latest digital and cognitive<br />
advances. It has been<br />
supported by NHS England<br />
and NHS Digital and has great potential to help<br />
other hospitals across the NHS.<br />
The app uses gaming and augmented reality to<br />
distract patients having procedures in hospital.<br />
Young patients choose and name their own avatar<br />
which will help them understand their hospital visit<br />
before they arrive and help calm them during their<br />
stay. Their avatar ‘pops up’ at various hospital<br />
locations during their visit and helps patients collect<br />
‘rewards’ following procedures that allows them to<br />
access new content.<br />
Within Alder Play, parents will also be able to<br />
interact with a chatbot called “Ask Oli” to answer<br />
questions about the hospital and what may happen<br />
to their child during treatment. Alder Hey has been<br />
working with the Hartree Centre (part of the UK’s<br />
Science and Technology Facilities Council and<br />
supported by IBM), using IBM’s Watson technology<br />
to enable questions to be answered in real time.<br />
This will be the first time cognitive technologies<br />
have been applied in any hospital in the UK, in this<br />
way.<br />
Shop Direct, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and<br />
NHS England. The Alder Play app has only been<br />
made possible through a collaboration of expertise<br />
from the health, retail, travel and technology sectors.<br />
Integral to the app’s design and development has<br />
been the opinions and views of children and young<br />
people. Five years ago, seven year old patient<br />
Niamh Barnes suggested to hospital staff the idea<br />
for an app to be created that would distract children<br />
like her while they were in hospital. Niamh has<br />
continued to inspire the app’s developers, alongside<br />
a number of other patients from the hospital’s<br />
Children and Young People’s Forum.<br />
Niamh said “It’s exciting to see the app coming to<br />
life and providing entertainment for other children<br />
like me. I really like the ‘Ask Oli’ page which is<br />
really helpful and means kids and parents can ask<br />
questions about their stay in hospital.”<br />
In April <strong>2018</strong>, Alder Hey was featured as Apple’s<br />
App of the day, which is an incredible achievement<br />
for any app.<br />
Alder Hey Consultant Dr Nik Barnes, who originated<br />
the idea of Alder Play, explained: “Our vision is to<br />
transform the experience of children in hospital. We<br />
wanted to distract patients during procedures and<br />
reduce their worries and fears. Rewarding children<br />
following procedures and treatments was another<br />
vital element as it helps to encourage their progress.<br />
Rewards can be given for something as simple as<br />
having a dressing changed, to getting out of bed<br />
after an operation or having a scan.”<br />
The Alder Hey app is being supported through the<br />
global digital exemplar programme with funding<br />
being provided by Alder Hey Children’s Charity,<br />
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust 18<br />
Annual Report & Accounts 2017/18
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