Philips strengthens prenatal and labour care system at Nairobi Hospital
Royal Philips Electronics is introducing its perinatal information system OB TraceVue, at Nairobi Hospital in Kenya to strengthen the hospital’s perinatal healthcare services and to provide more focused care for the unique needs of every mother and child through pregnancy, labour, and the transition home. This digital information management solution represents a system-wide commitment to delivering the next generation safely through state-of-the-art monitoring of the mother and baby’s medical health and extensive documentation of the care they receive. Electronic evaluation of the mother’s contractions and the baby’s movements, the changes of their heart rates and other vital signs during labour are being introduced for the first time in Africa in Kenya.
According to Dr. Cleopa Mailu, CEO of the Nairobi Hospital, “Digital health solutions, like Philips OB TraceVue, provide us with the tools to increase efficiency, reduce medical errors and bring down healthcare costs. We are very excited to have this system installed at our hospital, as it leads the way in preparing the Kenyan healthcare system for a truly digital environment in fetal and maternal monitoring. The Philips OB TraceVue perinatal information system manages the registration and storage of data across the perinatal care continuum; from the first ante partum examination, to delivery, postpartum care, newborn nursery care and follow up visits to the gynaecologist. Documenting the care provided during pregnancy and birth is vital in demonstrating the quality of care delivered to both maternal and newborn patients.”
This newly implemented perinatal information system is particularly beneficial in reducing critical complications in high-risk pregnancies or in pregnant mothers at risk for certain medical conditions. Care givers have access to constant and clear pictures of the patient status, enabling confident decision-making and safeguarding high quality of care to maternal and newborn patients. Data such as electronic patient records for the mother, fetus and newborn are stored centrally across multiple pregnancies. Philips OB TraceVue easily integrates with the hospital’s existing IT hardware and uses a single platform with the capability for biometric, single sign-on.
Freedom of movement for women in labour
In addition to the OB TraceVue system, Philips has also installed Avalon fetal monitors and fetal Cordless Transducer System (CTS) in the Nairobi Hospital, providing a state of the art patient monitoring system that benefits mothers, babies, nurses, and physicians. Philips Avalon CTS transducers are cordless and lightweight and hence give women greater mobility during labour and more choice in birthing positions while providing care givers the continuous information they need even when the mother is not in bed. Avalon CTS transducers are also waterproof so they can be used in baths or showers.
The Avalon CTS’s advanced wireless communication technology sends signals to the bedside even if the mother is not in the room. The data streaming to the bedside is recorded, analyzed and archived by the OB TraceVue clinical information system. This gives clinicians a constant and clear picture of the patient’s vital signs (for example fetal movement, heart rate, uterine activity and maternal ECG status) for confident decision-making, and gives hospital administrators and care teams a record of care that can be used to simplify clinician workflow, improve financial outcomes, and most importantly help to improve and save the lives of mothers and babies.
Working towards the Millennium Development Goals
The cooperation between Nairobi Hospital and Philips is a significant step towards reaching the challenging Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) for 2015, as defined by the United Nations. Among others, these goals aim to reduce child deaths by two-thirds and maternal deaths by three-quarters by 2015.
Mr. Roelof Assies, District and General Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa says, “We at Philips believe that mothers and children need to have access to a continuum of care that extends from pregnancy (and even before), through childbirth and into childhood, instead of the often fragmented services available at present. Philips has been dedicated to Mother and Child Care for over forty years and today provides the broadest range of ultrasound, monitoring, clinical informatics and patient care solutions to contribute to better healthcare standards for mother and child”.
Kenya struggles with one of the highest numbers of newborn deaths in Africa with a neonatal mortality rate of 27 per 1,000 live births[1]. Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth worldwide – that means 529,000 women per year. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with the right kind of care and technology. In addition, for every woman who dies in childbirth, around 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease – approximately 10 million women each year[2]. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with the right kind of care and technology.
Roelof Assies continues: “Several million mothers and their newborn babies, as well as countless children are excluded from the health care to which they are entitled. Availability of and access to high quality, affordable care for all mothers and children is an issue of high priority for society and policy makers. Philips is partnering with governments, foundations, health professional associations and research institutions across Africa to develop affordable solutions to improve access to healthcare.”
Philips Cape Town to Cairo 2011 road show
The introduction of the OB TraceVue perinatal information system in the Nairobi Hospital was announced at the Kenyan leg of Philips’ Cape Town to Cairo 2011 road show; during which Philips is traveling across Africa (from May 12 to July 11, 2011) to raise awareness about how relevant healthcare and lighting solutions can improve the quality of life across the continent. With this road show, Philips aims to create dialogue and cooperation between governments, local healthcare workforces, non-governmental organizations, foundations, healthcare professional associations and research institutions to help mothers, newborn babies and children obtain care. The road show will address key healthcare needs and show how innovation can improve people’s lives, covering 12,000 kilometers in 62 days, and visiting a total of twelve countries.
In addition to showcasing Philips solutions and starting a dialogue, the road show aims to deliver clinical education to help improve standards of care. There is a major training requirement across the African continent. Recognizing the need for continuous education to advance and maintain clinical competencies, Philips is delivering customized training modules around Mother and Child Care in all key markets including Kenya, where over 80 Obstetricians, Midwives, Maternity Nurses, Pediatricians, Ultrasound Practitioners and Radiologists are attending a two-day clinical training session on baby resuscitation, fetal monitoring and ultrasound.
This article was originally posted on East Africa Business Communities
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