Barbro Brauer, 61, has worked as a nurse at the children's hospital in Stockholm for almost 30 years. Lately, she has participated in a pilot project testing 3G technology used during her visits with patients in their home environments.

"Video telephony makes my work so much easier," Brauer says. "If I am concerned about a child's health I can easily get in contact with a doctor at the hospital and show him the child over the video phone. The phone and my laptop also give me access to patient files and I can type in the information while it is fresh in my mind."

The 3G technology enables her to save time and makes her feel more secure. Because it facilitates high-quality in-home care, patients and their families can leave hospital much sooner and avoid the need to return for on-going medical attention.

Brauer and her colleagues usually care for about 16 children at any time. They visit each child three times per week to take samples and measure their weight. Bauer's patients are typically born in week 24 of pregnancy and are released from hospital at 34 weeks to be treated in their home. The nurses give advice about feeding and assist with oxygen treatment needed by those children whose lungs have yet to develop fully.

Jebali and Mounira Abdellatif's daughter Yasmin left the hospital two weeks ago and Brauer visits the family regularly. Even though both parents think the hospital treatment was really good they prefer to stay at home with Yasmin - it is less stressful and they feel more comfortable. They both feel very secure with the help they receive. This also shows in Yasmin who is gaining weight rapidly.

Brauer sends a video clip to Associate Professor Mikael Norman to make sure that everything is alright with Yasmin. She also hooks up to the patient folders and makes notes about Yasmin's progress.

Brauer believes she and her colleagues play a vital role in making parents feel secure about their child leaving hospital. Many are, of course, concerned about how to treat the child at home, but they are comforted to know they can reach someone in the mobile team or the hospital around the clock. Brauer says all parents have been really positive about the support and many do not want to lose the service.

The second family Brauer visits this day is Helena Enoksson and Ulla Le Vau and their twin daughters Alma and Molly, who were born 10 weeks early.

Both parents say the help from Brauer is fantastic and makes them feel secure. Like the Abdellatif family, they are really pleased that the twins can be treated at home. Alma has a birth mark on her head and Brauer sends a video clip to the hospital to check that everything is fine. Again she hooks up to the patient folders at the hospital and fills in Alma's and Molly's data.

Brauer is really interested in technical innovations and did not hesitate when asked to participate in the pilot. She says it has been a really positive experience and hopes the project will continue. It is also an effective way of relieving pressure at the hospital, Brauer says. Treating these children at home frees up beds for children who need more qualified care and would otherwise have had to be transferred to another hospital.

Mats Blennow, associate professor at the hospital's neonatal unit, says: "With 3G technology we can save a lot of money, but most importantly we will have the time and space at the unit to help more children and their families, both here and in their homes."

Being able to treat patients at home means more available hospital beds. Blennow says that it is not only the hospital that will save money. Families will not have to pay for trips to and from the hospital or for expensive meals away from home. "But most importantly," he says, "we have seen that children often recover better when they can be at home in a relaxing environment. It benefits the whole family, because they have more time together."

Hendrik Bergstén