CARY, N.C., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. women aged 18
to 44 years rank a hospital's safety measures as more important
than location or comfort when choosing where to give birth,
according to a new consumer survey released today by
PeriGen®, the innovator in perinatal early warning
systems for hospital labor and delivery (L&D) departments.
In addition, 90% of women ranked a hospital's investment in
technology to help nurses identify issues during childbirth to
prevent negative outcomes as "important" to "very important" when
it comes to choosing where to deliver.
The online poll of 200 women in the peak childbearing years
(typically defined as 18 to 44 years) conducted by PollFish on
behalf of PeriGen®, found that:
- 86% of respondents would choose a hospital based on safety
measures over factors such as patient satisfaction reviews,
location or fancy birthing rooms
- Nearly 50% have had or know someone that has experienced a bad
outcome during childbirth
- 65% of respondents who have had or know someone that has
experienced a bad outcome during childbirth believe that it could
have been prevented
Despite many respondents having or knowing someone who
experienced a difficult childbirth, it came as a surprise to over
half of the survey respondents that the
United States has one of the highest rates of death or
injury of mother and/or baby during childbirth among developed
nations. Similarly, 48% did not know that the majority of these
deaths or injuries are preventable.
Once presented with these facts, 85% of women surveyed found it
concerning that the United States
is facing a public health crisis of women and babies experiencing
negative outcomes during childbirth. For example, the United States ranks 34th out of 35
countries for maternal mortality rate (MMR) out of all developed
nations. The U.S. rate has increased by nearly 60 percent since
1990, while the overall MMR for the entire world has decreased by
almost 30 percent.
"The data is finally being recognized as indicative of a
public health crisis and spawning growing media coverage,
Congressional inquiries and a new Joint Commission performance
measure looking at unexpected complications in childbirth," said
Matthew Sappern, CEO of PeriGen.
Safety measures and technology most important
With the
rise in MMR and the high rate of negative outcomes that actually
are preventable, Sappern believes "it is a clinical, financial and
moral imperative to look at how modern technologies might be used
to impact patient care. Expectant mothers today have grown up
with technology all their lives and they expect and will seek out
facilities who leverage the same."
Education and training, long-standing staples of patient safety
programs, are effective but not sufficient. Studies suggest that
lack of knowledge is not a common problem in preventable incidents;
rather poor recognition of the degree of illness, lack of
communication and failure to seek help in a timely fashion are the
biggest contributors. "This country has some of the best
trained, most committed nurses in the world, but we need to equip
them better," said Sappern.
Protecting moms and babies
Fortunately for mothers and
babies, PeriGen's PeriWatch Vigilance® early warning platform
leverages AI-driven technology for consistent, persistent analysis
and efficient display of complex data in real time to promote
better human recognition and communication about impending problems
during labor. Automated early warning software systems for
obstetrics are designed to enhance clinical efficiency, timely
intervention and standardized care. The underlying technology has
played a critical part in reducing adverse events at a number of
U.S. health systems.
"Rather than attempting to discover potential issues amidst a
sea of data that may or may not be important, clinicians can spend
their time evaluating potentially concerning patterns flagged
during labor via AI technology," Sappern said. "By using what some
end users refer to as 'an angel on their shoulder' along with
clinical experience and expertise, clinicians can then determine
the appropriate path forward that protects the safety of the mom
and baby."
ABOUT PERIGEN, INC.
PeriGen offers innovative
perinatal software solutions that incorporate advanced statistical
analysis features to enhance clinical efficiency and
standardization of care during childbirth. Led by skilled OB
practitioners and IT visionaries, PeriGen has created the
PeriWatch® platform to provide consistent analysis and efficient
display of complex data in real-time to promote better human
recognition and communication about impending problems during
labor. With PeriWatch®, clinicians can spend more time on direct
patient care and less time on manual calculations and data
manipulation. To learn more, visit www.perigen.com; follow us
on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook; or call
877.700.4755 or email.
Media Contact:
Stacy State
Amendola Communications for PeriGen
502.744.7409
sstate@acmarketingpr.com
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SOURCE PeriGen