Aneurin Bevan University Health Board with TEC Cymru

Technology Enabled Remote Monitoring in Schools (TERMS)

  • Led by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board with TEC Cymru
  • Supporting a target group of young people in secondary school with remote monitoring kits to capture physical health data in young people on ADHD medication.
  • The initial scoping and testing for this project took place December 2021 – June 2022 and can be view here.
  • The next phase is taking place between January and December 2023.

Why this project

The team wanted to bring together colleagues from NHS and Educational settings to work collaboratively to support young people to access remote monitoring technology. There has been a lot of energy around the potential of this work from people from clinicians supporting young people’s mental health and school staff given the impact of Covid-19 on young people’s mental health alongside the move to think about different ways that digital healthcare could support access and availability.

The team tested their assumptions around stigma and anonymity/confidentially. While some concerns are raised regarding engagement and satisfaction of digital tools, the team see there is growing evidence to complement existing support (e.g., blended).

The work so far

At proof-of-concept there was acceptance and buy-in from clinical, educational and policy partners, young people, and families. At pilot phase, the team are exploring this concept in a live environment by testing out the remote monitoring technology, and its integration with clinical and educational systems, by measuring its impact along the way. In particular they want to understand digital confidence and trust, and issues around data governance, safeguarding and risk.
The team have started to do some economic analysis to understand the cost benefits of the new pathway. For the technology to be made available in every secondary school in Wales, with each school having access to 2 kits, the annual cost is around £250,000. Additional costs associated with rolling out TERMS, equate to £45,000 annually.

However, the savings made from clinician time saved negates the cost associated with implementing a project such as TERMS. There has been an estimated £4.7 million saving annually, achieved by moving half of annual consultations for ADHD patients, to a 10-minute check-up rather than full hour slot currently used.

Connect with the team 
Alka Ajuha
Gemma Johns