A new telehealth program could make going home from the hospital safer for kids

A new grant from the Copic Medical Foundation will help Children’s National Hospital advance medication safety in the home for some of our most vulnerable patients: children with medical complexity during the critical transition from hospital to home.

 

The $189,000 award will support Bear-RX PATHS (Pharmacist Post-Acute Telehealth for Home Safety), a pilot program designed to reduce medication errors through pharmacist-led telehealth visits after discharge. By partnering with our pharmacy transitions of care team, the project will work with approximately 25 families over the next year to ensure that medications are given safely and effectively at home.

“Care transitions can be one of the riskiest moments for children with complex medical needs,” said Kavita Parikh, MD, MSHS, principal investigator for the grant and a member of the Center for Translational Research. “Pharm-PATHS is about meeting families where they are so we can support them in real time and prevent errors before they happen.”

The Copic Medical Foundation selected Bear-RX PATHS as part of its 2025 funding cycle, which supports innovative, replicable approaches to reducing fragmentation across healthcare settings. For children who may see multiple specialists, require numerous medications, and navigate both inpatient and outpatient care, ensuring seamless communication and accurate medication management can make a life-changing difference.

By the end of the pilot year, the team hopes to share findings that could serve as a model for other pediatric hospitals nationwide. “Our goal,” Dr. Parikh added, “is to create a program working with our clinical pharmacy team that can be scaled and adapted anywhere children with multiple home medications and complex needs are cared for.”

The project is expected to begin in the coming months, with regular updates planned as outcomes emerge.