The contributions of the nurse and the machine in home uterine activity monitoring systems

The relative contributions of home tokodynamometry and daily nursing telephone contact to the success of preterm birth prevention programs remains a subject of debate. Because investigators have obtained conflicting data, a reinterpretation of published results was undertaken by proposing a dynamic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 164; no. 5 Pt 1; p. 1159
Main Authors Merkatz, R B, Merkatz, I R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.1991
Subjects
Female
Fetal Monitoring
Home Nursing
Humans
Nursing Assessment
Obstetric Labor, Premature - diagnosis
Obstetric Labor, Premature - prevention & control
Pregnancy
Self Care
Uterine Contraction
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ISSN0002-9378
DOI10.1016/0002-9378(91)90676-I

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Summary:The relative contributions of home tokodynamometry and daily nursing telephone contact to the success of preterm birth prevention programs remains a subject of debate. Because investigators have obtained conflicting data, a reinterpretation of published results was undertaken by proposing a dynamic interface between the nurse and the machine. Experience gained from the technology and the development of nursing expertise with assessment of patient symptoms are presented as interdependent factors, both of which are critical to a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. It is proposed that this combined interactive expertise increases sensitivity to the early recognition of preterm labor. The nurse's role in providing social support to high-risk pregnant women is then identified as a potential additional independent contributing factor to reported observed reductions in preterm births. Discussion focuses on future research, public policy issues, and the need for expanding nurse-patient interactions into the home.
ISSN:0002-9378
DOI:10.1016/0002-9378(91)90676-I