Chelsea and Westminster to explore digital tools for HIV

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has begun a new partnership to explore how using digital tools can better support people living with HIV.

Working with biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences the trust will also look at the potential impact of digital technologies on patient outcomes as well as staff and patient time.

Led by its flagship CW Innovation programme, the innovation arm of the trusts charity CW+, it will also analyse the hospital’s HIV patient service pathway for older adults and those with comorbidities, looking to identify whether digital technologies could improve it.

Prof Marta Boffito, consultant physician and HIV service director and clinical research facility lead at the trust, said: “Together with our charity CW+, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Gilead Sciences on this all-important research project, which will capture the patient voice and experience, providing us with clear insights on how we can improve the care of older adults living with HIV and those with comorbidities by further incorporating digital technology in our service.”

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital runs one of the largest HIV services in Europe and the largest in the UK. It has been at the forefront of the global fight against HIV and AIDS for more than 30 years, with its clinical teams pioneering the research, innovation and care of people living with HIV.

The partnership with Gilead Sciences will asses the ability of people living with HIV to self-care and the improvement in clinical knowledge for health care professionals in the management of people living with HIV with complex needs.

Chelsea and Westminster has deployed myriad of digital services to improve patient care and reduce staff burden, most recently rolling out DrDoctor’s patient-facing technology within its endoscopy diagnostic service.

It has also launched an app which supports NHS staff redeployed to care for Covid patients. The Acute Covid app was developed as part of the CW Innovation programme.

CW Innovation has been the sponsor of Rewired Pitchfest for the past two years, offering the winner a real-world test bed in whichever care setting their concept or start-up is based.