Improving Maternal Labor Monitoring in Kenya Using Digital Pen Technology: A User Evaluation

Abstract

Paper-based systems for monitoring maternal labor have been shown to reduce life-threatening complications in low-resource environments; however, significant barriers exist to the use of these tools in developing countries. This paper presents the PartoPen - a digital pen system that enhances a common labormonitoring form known as the partograph. The PartoPen system provides real-time data feedback and reinforces birth attendant training, while retaining the paper-and-pen interface currently used by most healthcare workers. In this paper, the results from a preliminary user evaluation of the system in a Kenyan hospital are described. The qualitative results collected in this study indicate that the PartoPen system is easy to use, and addresses many of the current barriers facing effective partograph use in developing countries.