title: Prenatal telemedicine: clinical experience with conventional and computerised antepartum telecardiotocography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical results of the first working year of a telemedicine project based on computerised telecardiotocography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The project is based on the "TOCOMAT" system, which remotely recorded and processed cardiotocograms performed at five peripheral units from high and low risk patients, then transferred them to a University Operative Centre, where they were displayed, stored and analysed by the 2CTG system and by two expert observers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  457 traces were analysed. The perinatal outcome was good, except for two high-risk fetuses. Both patients and carers had favourable reactions. The management of patients with pregnancies at risk was improved by the interaction of the physicians involved with the experts at the Operative Centre.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telemedicine could enable the decentralization of perinatal surveillance, improving quality of life for pregnant and newborn and rationalizing costs for prenatal care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrical Gynaecological and Urological Science and Reproductive Medicine, Prenatal Care Unit, University Federico II of, Naples, Italy. dilieto@unina.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Lieto
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Giani
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campanile
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Falco
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaramellino
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015148:Cardiotocography / Q000379:methods*; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*