Following the death of a pregnant woman in the Irish Maternity Services due to infection, a system called I-MEWS was introduced to all of the maternity hospitals to help identify signs that a woman may become critically unwell. A system of regular and routine monitoring on a woman’s temperature, pulse and respirations and other markers on a new form (I-MEWS) is believed to help staff to identify the early stages of a pregnant woman becoming ill. By recognising the deterioration of a woman’s health early on, appropriate medical care can be sought which could potentially save the woman’s life.
The aim of this research is to look at the use of I-MEWS in a large maternity hospital in order to identify both the advantages and the limitations of the system. This study will also look at the use of a communication tool used by staff in the hospital (called ISBAR), which is also considered to improve patient safety.
This study will involve both questionnaires and interviews with midwives in one maternity hospital who have experience in using these tools. While the use of these tools seems to be a good idea, at present there are few studies that have explored this topic from the perspective of those who use it, midwives or nurses.
It is important to look at the effectiveness of these in order to ensure that this is an effective method of assessing clinical deterioration and hopefully preventing further maternal deaths as a result of infection.
