The study is concerned with assessing the impact of electronic fetal monitoring on laboring mothers, nurses, and obstetricians in one hospital site. Data collection involves the administration of two questionnaires to postpartal women regarding their reaction to childbirth and monitoring, two questionnaires to labor and delivery nurses on their response to health care technology generally and monitoring specifically, and one questionnaire to obstetricians on their attitudes toward monitoring. Background information to be obtained on the mothers include type of monitoring used, use of labor room versus birthing room and previous experience with monitoring. Demographic information is to be obtained also and a chart audit conducted to ascertain the number of complications associated with the labor and delivery. Evaluation of the nursing and medical care given to the patients is not a component of the study. In order to address various policy questions regarding the role of EFM in obstetric care, data collection will include an estimate of cost, mortality, and morbidity associated with the use of monitors in the one site.
