As our health care system develops and evolves, the focus is centered around improving patient care and satisfaction, improving the health of the population, and reducing costs of health cares. Due to this, more hospitals are increasing the number of labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) rooms which provide continuity of care and increased patient satisfaction. These rooms are just one of the ways in which digital technology has improved care for women in all stages of childbirth, designed to provide a comfortable, home-from-home atmosphere which is large enough to accommodate all medical and technological needs compared to the traditional labor and delivery room.

Better Health Care

One of the major benefits of digital technology when it comes to childbirth is that everything is in one place. LDRP rooms consist of everything that an expectant and new mother could possibly need including state of the art fetal monitoring systems and physiological monitors allowing nursing staff and midwives to administer care with little or no disruption to the patient or her family members. With digital technology, live telemedicine technologies can be used to advise healthcare providers whilst off site. This is especially useful if, for example, the hospital is under-staffed and there is only one midwife looking after the patient as she can remotely contact a doctor or more experienced midwife for advice using telemedicine if needed. Telemedicine has also proven especially useful in developing countries, allowing more women to give birth safely and in comfort thanks to health care providers having more access to help and advice.

Everything in One Place

LDRP rooms and digital technology provide women and their new babies with a room to stay in throughout all periods of the birthing process. The beds used in these rooms can easily transition from a birthing bed to a traditional bed meaning that there’s no need for room transfers postpartum, allowing the woman more comfort and time to rest with her new baby. Infant stations, warmers, delivery carts and breast milk pumps are all stored within the rooms meaning that the new mum has everything that she needs right at her fingertips once she’s given birth, eliminating the possibility of being separated from her baby or moved to another area of the hospital in order to feed. Many rooms are also equipped with a birthing tub or whirlpool which many women are opting for to give birth in, along with an en-suite bathroom so that there’s no need for a patient to leave the room at all.

Fetal Surveillance

Electronic fetal monitoring systems are being used more and more frequently in modern childbirth. These state of the art systems capture data from the fetal monitor and import them into the EFM system for electronic surveillance and remote monitoring. Because of this, a woman in the early stages of labor can have more privacy to rest and prepare herself for the birth. There is no need for a midwife or nurse to be present all of the time as they will be able to monitor the fetus using this remote monitoring system which will alert them as to when they are needed in the room. Remote technology allows doctors, midwives and nurses to monitor their patients from wherever they are in the hospital using smartphone or other mobile devices. This allows for better patient care as health care professionals are free to attend to patients in more need of them whilst still keeping an eye on the others.

Increased Satisfaction

Thanks to digital technology and the rise of LDRP rooms, women giving birth tend to be more satisfied with their experience overall. This is due to the fact that birthing rooms are more comfortable and there’s no need to leave them which can be exhausting if you are in labor or have just given birth. Because the rooms are equipped with pain relief options, more women are getting the pain relief that they want and as a result are having a more enjoyable experience when giving birth. There’s also more choice for women when it comes to their birthing options; water births can be easily arranged and the larger rooms allow for more family members to be present if required.

Home Care

The care doesn’t stop at the hospital – digital technology has made it easier for women to care for their new babies once they’ve returned home. The internet has made it possible for new mums to network with health care professionals and fellow mums for advice, and systems such as RevenueXL allow for the ordering of prescription medicine and easy paying of medical bills online.

Thanks to digital technology, giving birth is a better and safer experience for women.

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