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Using Digital Pens for Maternal Labor Monitoring: Evaluating the PartoPen in Kenya

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Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2014)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 511))

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Abstract

The goal of the PartoPen system is to enhance the partograph, a paper-based labor monitoring tool intended to promote timely delivery of quality care by birth attendants in developing countries. The PartoPen digital system provides audio instructions for measuring and recording labor progress indicators, real-time decision support based on recorded measurements, and time-based patient-specific reminders. Previous studies of the PartoPen system showed improved partograph completion rates among students in nursing classrooms at the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya. This paper presents the results of two continuation studies conducted in the maternity ward of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi. In this paper we identify and discuss the interrelated factors impacting PartoPen adoption and use in the labor ward at KNH, and review the challenges and opportunities likely to face digital pen deployments in other healthcare settings.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the staff and nurse-midwives at Kenyatta National Hospital, without whose support and participation this work would not have been possible. This research was funded in part by the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Exploration Grant (OPP1061309).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA

    Heather Underwood, Maya Appley, Sara Rosenblum, Addie Crawley, S. Revi Sterling & John K. Bennett

  2. Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

    John Ong’ech

Authors
  1. Heather Underwood
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  2. John Ong’ech
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  3. Maya Appley
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  4. Sara Rosenblum
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  5. Addie Crawley
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  6. S. Revi Sterling
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  7. John K. Bennett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather Underwood .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ESEO, ANGERS CEDEX 02, France

    Guy Plantier

  2. Cognitive Systems Lab., Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Tanja Schultz

  3. Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Fred

  4. New University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal

    Hugo Gamboa

Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix B

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Underwood, H. et al. (2015). Using Digital Pens for Maternal Labor Monitoring: Evaluating the PartoPen in Kenya. In: Plantier, G., Schultz, T., Fred, A., Gamboa, H. (eds) Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies. BIOSTEC 2014. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 511. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26129-4_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26129-4_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-26128-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-26129-4

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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