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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04040257

A Team-based Approach to Improve Knowledge and Judgment Performance in Electronic Fetal Monitoring

The primary objective of this study is to compare performance of nurses, midwives, and physicians working as individuals versus working as teams in electronic fetal monitoring (as assessed by differences in knowledge and judgment scores).

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Key information

Conditions

Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Yale-New Haven Hospital

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

About this study

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) has been used as a tool to evaluate fetal wellbeing in obstetrics for decades, with limited results with regard to improve fetal outcomes. There remains wide variation in the interpretation of fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings between different practitioners, which may explain the limited impact of this ubiquitous tool. The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) exam was established to improve patient safety in obstetrical care by optimizing and standardizing the credentialing process for EFM.

The Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (FMC) test is a validated tool to assess the knowledge and judgment of test-takers based on script concordance theory, an approach to testing that allows assessment on real-life situations by comparing to the clinical reasoning of a panel of reference experts.

It is known that in clinical practice patients are cared for by teams of individuals (RN's, CNM, resident physicians and attendings). These individuals are all trained to approach a laboring patient from their own unique training. Even amongst experts in the field there is only moderate agreement on the interpretation of tracings with poor agreement on what constitutes a category III tracing. The absence of complete agreement in clinical practice creates differences in opinions of interpretation and agreement regarding next step in management for obstetric patients.

It is hypothesized that a team-based participation in the Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) exam will improve knowledge and judgment scores.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Must be a registered nurse, certified midwife, physician (resident, attending, MFM and General OB/Gyn) and have full obstetric privileges to provide patient care at participating hospitals.

Exclusion criteria

  • Any individual who does not meet inclusion criteria or is unable to participate in all exams at the designated time points.

Treatment and study plan

Team-based approach

Behavioral

Team-based participation in the The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) exam.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) Judgement

    Time frame: Up to 6 months

    The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) exam measures judgement. The is exam is a 72 question computer based exam. There are 35 knowledge questions and 37 judgement questions. The scores for each section are reported as a percentage (maximum score = 100%). Knowledge and judgement questions have scores that are weighted based on exam key.

  2. The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) Knowledge

    Time frame: Up to 6 months

    The Perinatal Quality Foundation Fetal Monitoring Credentialing (PQF/FMC) exam measures knowledge. The is exam is a 72 question computer based exam. There are 35 knowledge questions and 37 judgement questions. The scores for each section are reported as a percentage (maximum score = 100%). Knowledge and judgement questions have scores that are weighted based on exam key.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Does a Team-based Approach Improve Knowledge and Judgment Performance in Electronic Fetal Monitoring?

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Jul 31, 2019
Registry last updated
Jul 31, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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