Partopens at the Point of Care - Evaluating Digital Pen-based Maternal Labor Monitoring in Kenya.

The goal of the PartoPen system is to enhance the partograph, a paper-based labor monitoring tool intended to promote timely delivery of quality care by birth attendants in developing countries. The PartoPen digital pen hardware and software system supports partograph use by providing audio instructions for measuring and recording labor progress indicators, real-time decision support based on recorded measurements, and time-based patient-specific reminders for taking measurements. Earlier work found the PartoPen system effective in nursing classrooms at the University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya where the PartoPen was used to support teaching and training of students in maternal labor monitoring procedures. This paper presents the results of several follow-on studies conducted in the maternity ward of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi. Through these studies, we successively refine our understanding of the benefits of PartoPen use in this setting. We also identify and discuss the interrelated factors impacting PartoPen adoption and use in the labor ward at KNH, and review the challenges and opportunities likely to face digital pen deployments in other healthcare settings.