The "Welcome" project - a digital bridge for families of premature babies

The birth of a premature baby is a significant experience for parents, which begins with intensive medical care and often brings uncertainty and challenges after being discharged from hospital. The "Welcome" project offers an innovative solution to ease the transition from hospital to home.

In an interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com, Prof. Ulrich Fischer, one of the initiators, explains how the project came about, what hurdles were overcome and what visions he has for the future.

Prof. Fischer, how did you get the idea for the "Welcome" project?

Prof. Ulrich Fischer: The idea goes back to a personal experience. During my semester abroad in Copenhagen in the early 2010s, I saw how parents of premature babies were already being cared for via video consultations. Back in Germany, I asked myself why we didn't offer anything similar here. Unfortunately, I initially encountered some obstacles: There was a lack of technical possibilities, legal frameworks and awareness of the benefits of telemedicine. It wasn't until 2022, after long discussions with our project partners, Charité Berlin, Techniker Krankenkasse and LMU Munich, that we were able to flesh out the concept and were finally awarded funding from the GBA's Innovation Fund in 2024. This gave us the opportunity to get "Welcome" off the ground.

What challenges did you have to overcome during implementation?

Fischer: There were technical, personnel and structural hurdles. On the technical side, data protection and the infrastructure were crucial. With our project partner Cliniserve, we have a technology platform that is both secure and user-friendly. The coronavirus pandemic has helped us in this area, as the acceptance and availability of telemedicine has increased significantly.

The bigger challenges, however, were in the organizational area. Parents of premature babies often spend months in hospital, where they receive round-the-clock care. At home, they are suddenly left to their own devices. Our aim is to make this transition easier. At the same time, we need to ensure that telemedicine services are also accessible to families who live in rural areas or have language barriers.

How does "Welcome" support families in day-to-day situations?

Fischer: Families receive additional regular video consultations during the routine socio-medical aftercare - 16 appointments in the first twelve weeks, initially twice a week, later once a week. They receive a package with telemedical devices such as a stethoscope, a pulse oximeter and a digital scale. An app gives them access to a chat function and an online library with instructions on everyday tasks, such as the care of nasal probes or oxygen goggles.

The aim is to give parents self-confidence and skills. We want to enable them to master many situations independently. We emphasize that our services complement existing person-centered aftercare and do not replace it. Especially in rural areas, where specialized outpatient care services are often lacking, "Welcome" can provide crucial support.

How is the study phase of the project going so far?

Fischer: The project started in October 2024 and we are currently in the preparatory phase: we are developing the app, preparing ethics applications and clarifying organizational details. The actual data collection phase will begin in summer 2025, when the first children are included in the study. We plan to look after 160 premature babies and their families in two groups - in Munich and Berlin. Our primary measure is the readmission rate: how many children have to return to hospital within 30 days of being discharged? This rate is currently almost a third, and we hope to reduce it significantly with our approach.

What are your long-term goals with "Welcome"?

Fischer: We want to establish "Welcome" as a regular care service in five years' time. Our vision is to provide sustainable support that offers families stability and avoids unnecessary hospital stays. This can not only save costs, but also improve the quality of life of those affected. At the same time, we want to reduce the burden on the healthcare system and integrate innovative approaches such as telemedicine to a greater extent. It is always important to us to improve the quality of care and enable parents to care for their children with confidence in the long term.