Investigating Effectiveness Of New Intelligent Computer Programme Designed To Support Midwives And Doctors' Decisions For Higher Risk Labour

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Nursing / Midwifery;  IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 24 Nov 2008 - 0:00 PST

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A £5.9million clinical trial has been commissioned by the National institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme to investigate the effectiveness of a new intelligent computer programme that has been designed to support midwives and doctors' decisions in the management of higher risk labour. The computer programme has been developed to help minimise human error in the management of labour. The system analyses the fetal heart rate and compares this to other information it collects about the labour, such as cervical dilation and the presence of amniotic fluid. The system then provides the clinician with interpretations and recommendations about care.

Researchers, led by Professor Peter Brocklehurst at the University of Oxford, will test whether the computer programme is effective at improving the care given by midwives and doctors in response to abnormalities of the baby's heart rate, and whether this will lead to fewer complications during birth. The research team are looking to recruit around 46,000 women who are having continuous monitoring of their babies heart rate in labour, at 10 hospitals throughout the UK, over a period of six years. The study will not recruit women who do not require continuous monitoring of their babies heart rate during labour.

"Monitoring a baby's heart rate during labour as a means to determine whether they are lacking oxygen is a complicated process as some patterns can be the baby's normal response to the stress of labour. Expertise and experience are essential for accurate interpretation and so mistakes can happen," says Professor Brocklehurst. "It is vital this research is carried out as this system could provide doctors and midwives with effective support during the management of labour, potentially leading to fewer deaths and reducing the chances of brain damage."

For more information about this research visit http://www.hta.ac.uk/1734

1.The HTA programme is a programme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and produces high quality research information about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest of the NIHR programmes and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with more than 400 issues published to date. The journal's 2007 Impact Factor (3.87) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk The HTA programme is coordinated by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), based at the University of Southampton.

2.The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. http://www.nihr.ac.uk

Source

Naomi Stockley
Programme Manager (Communications)
NCCHTA