Next Generation Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Education Program Introduced

Milwaukee ?GE Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: GE) is introducing a new generation of its Electronic Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) Monitoring program for physicians, midwives, nurses and other clinical staff in obstetrical care. This interactive, web-based education program now features recently updated clinical analysis and consensus statements on FHR patterns, and directly links clinical data to terminology, interpretation and management for greater standardization. In addition, a case study provides opportunity to apply learning in a real life scenario.

This interactive, web-based education program using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development(NICHD) standardized definitions provides accurate, consistent interpretation of FHR patterns to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and reduce risk during labor and delivery. The program now features updated analysis and data on FHR patterns and incorporates consensus statements from NICHD, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists(ACOG) and other clinical organizations to standardize terminology and interpretation. With this standardization, training modules reinforce data points with appropriate clinical interventions, identifying certain FHR patterns with issues such as interruption of the oxygen pathway to provide learners with new models for patient care. The training program provides clinicians with standardized knowledge and communication tools to enhance care management with clear, consistent checklists that facilitate optimal patient safety and clinical efficiency.

David A. Miller, M.D., professor of Clinical Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and Frank C. Miller, M.D,, professor and former chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, are co-creators of the educational program offered by GE Healthcare.

“Electronic Fetal Heart Rate monitoring has been in clinical use for more than 40 years and is used in most births in the United States. The 2008 NICHD Consensus Report and ACOG Practice Bulletins go beyond standardized terminology and move into the realm of standardized interpretation and management, with the addition of critical statements regarding the clinical significance of FHR variability and accelerations. The ultimate goal is to optimize outcomes and to minimize potential sources of preventable error in intrapartum fetal monitoring, helping to reduce risk during labor and enable the best outcomes for mothers and babies,” said Frank C. Miller, M.D.

The program now also includes new features offering users “real-world” case study exercises to model use of FHR pattern information in the clinical setting, offering a highly interactive learning experience. Enhanced graphics and animation as well as a comprehensive post-test following the four modules help learners visualize information and test understanding of content.

“This program has taken online electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) education to a new level. Interactive, evidence-based, and filled with clinically applicable ‘pearls’, this is a great route for clinicians to enhance or reinforce their knowledge of EFM in all aspects. I would recommend this program for clinicians of all backgrounds and levels of education & experience,” said Lisa A. Miller, CNM, JD EFM educator and co-author of Mosby’s Pocket Guide: Fetal Monitoring-A Multidisciplinary Approach.

For more information, visit: www.gehealthcare.com/fhr.

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit www.gehealthcare.com.