The TelePIN project launched in Lower Saxony and Bremen to connect pediatric clinics via telemedicine, addressing a severe shortage of specialized medical staff for critically ill children. According to the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH), the digital system combines an audiovisual platform with a patient data management system to facilitate direct remote consultations and joint patient rounds.
Funding and Regional Expansion
The state government is funding 15 Lower Saxon children’s clinics with approximately 6 million euros from the Structure Fund II, financed equally by the federal government and the state, as reported by the MHH. Lower Saxony’s Health Minister Dr. Andreas Philippi visited the MHH to review the project, noting that it increases the efficiency of the clinical landscape ahead of upcoming hospital reforms.
Out of 29 children’s clinics in Lower Saxony, only four feature specialized pediatric intensive care units, and those facilities operate at roughly half capacity due to widespread staffing shortages among physicians and nursing professionals, according to Dr. Michael Sasse, senior physician in the clinic for pediatric cardiology and intensive care and head of TelePIN. The telemedical setup aims to bridge these operational gaps across smaller regional hospitals.
Long-term Goals and Technical Integration
Project leaders aim to integrate all children’s clinics across Lower Saxony, Bremen, adjacent federal regions, rescue services, and resident pediatricians into the TelePIN network. Prof. Dr. Philipp Beerbaum, director of the clinic for pediatric cardiology and intensive care at MHH, stated that the network will reduce emergency patient transfers and mitigate staffing deficits for life-threatening pediatric cases.
The initiative builds on the Pediatric Intensive Network, which has operated for over two decades. A 15-member working group at MHH—comprising specialists in medicine, controlling, procurement, data protection, law, and IT—collaborated with software and audiovisual vendors to build the current infrastructure. The hardware utilizes an extendable swivel arm designed specifically for infant and toddler beds.
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