Acquiring Knowledge about the Use of a Newly Developed Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitor: A Qualitative Study Among Birth Attendants in Tanzania

Sara Rivenes Lafontan, Johanne Sundby, Hussein L. Kidanto, Columba K. Mbekenga and Hege L. Ersdal
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Sara Rivenes Lafontan: Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
Johanne Sundby: Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
Hussein L. Kidanto: Medical College, East Africa, Aga Khan University, Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 38129, Tanzania
Columba K. Mbekenga: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University, Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 38129, Tanzania
Hege L. Ersdal: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Stavanger University Hospital, 4011 Stavanger Norway

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: In an effort to reduce newborn mortality, a newly developed strap-on electronic fetal heart rate monitor was introduced at several health facilities in Tanzania in 2015. Training sessions were organized to teach staff how to use the device in clinical settings. This study explores skilled birth attendants’ perceptions and experiences acquiring and transferring knowledge about the use of the monitor, also called Moyo. Knowledge about this learning process is crucial to further improve training programs and ensure correct, long-term use. Five Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out with doctors and nurse-midwives, who were using the monitor in the labor ward at two health facilities in Tanzania. The FGDs were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study revealed that the participants experienced the training about the device as useful but inadequate. Due to high turnover, a frequently mentioned challenge was that many of the birth attendants who were responsible for training others, were no longer working in the labor ward. Many participants expressed a need for refresher trainings, more practical exercises and more theory on labor management. The study highlights the need for frequent trainings sessions over time with focus on increasing overall knowledge in labor management to ensure correct use of the monitor over time.

Keywords: Tanzania; low-resource setting; labor care; (electronic) fetal heart rate monitoring; labor monitoring; health literacy; Moyo; wireless fetal heart rate monitor; birth attendant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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