Wireless Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring in Inpatient Full-Term Pregnant Women: Testing Functionality and Acceptability

Abstract

We tested functionality and acceptability of a wireless fetal monitoring prototype technology in pregnant women in an inpatient labor unit in the United States. Women with full-term singleton pregnancies and no evidence of active labor were asked to wear the prototype technology for 30 minutes. We assessed functionality by evaluating the ability to successfully monitor the fetal heartbeat for 30 minutes, transmit this data to Cloud storage and view the data on a web portal. Three obstetricians also rated fetal cardiotocographs on ease of readability. We assessed acceptability by administering closed and open-ended questions on perceived utility and likeability to pregnant women and clinicians interacting with the prototype technology. Thirty-two women were enrolled, 28 of whom (87.5%) successfully completed 30 minutes of fetal monitoring including transmission of cardiotocographs to the web portal. Four sessions though completed, were not successfully uploaded to the Cloud storage. Six non-study clinicians interacted with the prototype technology. The primary technical problem observed was a delay in data transmission between the prototype and the web portal, which ranged from 2 to 209 minutes. Delays were ascribed to Wi-Fi connectivity problems. Recorded cardiotocographs received a mean score of 4.2/5 (± 1.0) on ease of readability with an interclass correlation of 0.81(95%CI 0.45, 0.96). Both pregnant women and clinicians found the prototype technology likable (81.3% and 66.7% respectively), useful (96.9% and 66.7% respectively), and would either use it again or recommend its use to another pregnant woman (77.4% and 66.7% respectively). In this pilot study we found that this wireless fetal monitoring prototype technology has potential for use in a United States inpatient setting but would benefit from some technology changes. We found it to be acceptable to both pregnant women and clinicians. Further research is needed to assess feasibility of using this technology in busy inpatient settings.

Home-based telemonitoring versus hospital admission in high risk pregnancies: a qualitative study on women’s experiences

“…Wireless devices for blood pressure (Microlife WatchBP) and cardiotocography (Sense4Baby, BMA-Telenatal, The Netherlands) were used for daily follow up of patients with either PPROM, FGR or preeclampsia [16,17]. Following a hospital admission for initial observation and treatment (e.g.…”

Functionality and acceptability of a wireless fetal heart rate monitoring device in term pregnant women in rural Southwestern Uganda

“…Consequently, this technology may have the potential to reduce the rates of perinatal deaths. Wireless fetal heart monitors that transmit fetal heart rate data to a central server remotely either through modems [ 14 ] or Bluetooth [ 15 ] have been developed to allow real-time assessment of labour. Pilot studies have found the Bluetooth technology to be acceptable and feasible to both women and clinicians in both outpatient and inpatient settings of developed countries [ 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Wireless fetal heart monitors that transmit fetal heart rate data to a central server remotely either through modems [ 14 ] or Bluetooth [ 15 ] have been developed to allow real-time assessment of labour. Pilot studies have found the Bluetooth technology to be acceptable and feasible to both women and clinicians in both outpatient and inpatient settings of developed countries [ 15 , 16 ]. The recorded CTGs from a wireless fetal monitoring prototype technology were also found to be easy to read generally and the technology itself useful, likeable and recommended among pregnant women in an inpatient labour ward in USA.…”

Surveillance of fetal arrhythmias in the outpatient setting: current limitations and call for action

“…The evaluation of fetal rhythm and diagnosis are typically performed using Doppler and M-mode echocardiographic techniques, 6 with newer modalities such as the developing fetal ECG and magnetocardiography available only in few centres. 7 Unfortunately, both modalities appear unsuitable for outpatient monitoring of fetal arrhythmia, and neither technology has the ability to record rhythms over long periods of time or to assess trends and changes in fetal heart rate. 8 Magnetocardiography may be able to record for longer periods of time; however, the technology is still cumbersome and available only to specialised referral centres.…”