title: Wireless Vital Sign Monitoring in Pregnant Women: A Functionality and Acceptability Study.
abstract: To test the functionality and acceptability of a wireless vital sign monitor in an inpatient obstetric unit.
  
  
  
  Pregnant women at a U.S. tertiary-care hospital wore a wireless vital sign sensor that captures heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. Measurements were compared with vital signs obtained by standard devices. We defined continuous capture of vital signs for 30 min with wireless data transfer to a central monitor as functional success. Acceptability was assessed per the pregnant women and nurses observing the device. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to assess agreement between the wireless sensor and standard measurements.
  
  
  
  Thirty of 32 enrolled pregnant women had successful monitoring; 2 cases were stopped early for non-study-related reasons. Comparing wireless sensor and standard measurements, the mean difference (limits of agreement) values at the 25th and 75th percentiles were 1.6 (±13.2) and 4.2 (±18.6) heartbeats/min, 4.2 (±6.1) and 0.7 (±5.4) respirations/min, and 0.02°C (±1.5) and 0.5°C (±1.8), respectively. Most pregnant women found the device comfortable, likeable, and useful (78%, 81%, and 97%, respectively); 80% of nurses found the monitor easy to use, and 84% would recommend it to a patient.
  
  
  
  We successfully obtained maternal vital signs using a simple wireless monitor with high acceptability. Well-validated monitors of this nature could significantly alleviate the human resource burden of monitoring during labor and confer greatly desired mobility to laboring pregnant women, although incorporation of blood pressure monitoring will be critical.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Adeline Adwoa
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Boatin
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Blair Johnson
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wylie
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goldfarb
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Nursing, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Nursing, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pittel
authors.affiliation: 4 Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: 5 Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Jessica Elizabeth
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Haberer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014481:United States; D055986:Vital Signs; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: maternal care; obstetrics; pregnant women; vital sign; wireless device; wireless monitoring