LIFE-SAVING support for babies with complex heart disease will soon be available at the touch of a button, thanks to the development of a new monitoring and reporting app for parents.
The project is co-led by Dr Chris Bowers, principal lecturer in computing at the University of Worcester, and Birmingham City University’s Kerry Gaskin, the UK’s first Professor of Congenital Cardiac Nursing.
Professor Gaskin said: “Improving care for children with congenital heart disease and their families is my passion, so I’m thrilled to be co-leading the development of this app.
“Parents will submit data from home in real time rather than waiting for check-ups, allowing cardiac nurse specialists to spot trends and intervene early to prevent deterioration.
“They’ll also have remote access to consultants, via messaging and online appointments.”
The Congenital Heart Assessment Tool mobile app – known as CHAT2MA – aims to revolutionise home monitoring by empowering parents to track, spot, and report early warning signs.
They will be able to use the app to share live updates and upload photos, allowing them to access immediate help from their cardiac team.
Development of the app builds on the success of the paper-based CHAT diary, developed in 2012 with the support of families of babies undergoing specialist care at Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Cardiology Service and the charity Little Hearts Matter with parent representatives.
Dr Tristan Ramcharan, paediatric and sport cardiologist at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “This application will be a game-changer for our clinicians and our patients.
“We’ve been using the paper-based CHAT for several years to help parents of babies with complex CHD to understand what is normal and when to seek medical attention.
“Having an app will push the capability of this tool into the smart phone age, allowing parents to submit data for medical staff to check in real time. This will hopefully allow more children to be discharged and monitored at home – with the potential to be used across the UK.”
Dr Bowers said: “CHAT2MA is an example of how the careful and considered application of technology in very challenging and emotive circumstances can help not only improve outcomes for infants but also the experience of parents and healthcare professionals.”
The app is undergoing development and testing ahead of launch in 2026-27.
