A PILOT scheme to study the lives of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder using an online system is set to be launched by Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
The £100,000 three-year project will see parents, teachers and doctors upload information about children with ADHD into a database which will then be studied by experts from Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
Information will include details on how a child is behaving, what activities they are taking part in and how they are responding to treatment.
This will give an accurate picture of a child’s condition and provide information to their consultant ahead of any appointment.
Dr Nevyne Chalhoub, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who is leading the project with consultant paediatrician Val Harpin, said: “This has exciting potential. If successful it could be developed into the first long-term follow-up of the lives of children with ADHD in the UK.
“Before they go to see the consultant at the clinic, the doctor will already know how the child is doing.”
Starting with a pilot of around 50 children, the trust hopes to roll it out to youngsters across the city. Two researchers will also be examining the results in a bid to overcome barriers such as homes without computers.
Around 1,000 children in Sheffield are thought to have severe ADHD.
Symptoms include difficulty focusing and following instructions, becoming impatient, fidgeting and struggling to wait.
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