Originally published September 30 2005
Oregon university and NASA team up to improve safety of high-risk births
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
NASA is working with researchers from Oregon Health & Science University in order to increase the safety of high-risk emergency births by using the space agency's simulation technology and team performance training to train obstetricians, Medford News reports.
Oregon Health & Science University and NASA, the agency that sends astronauts into space, are launching a different type of mission.
Their new study, "Using Military and Aviation Simulation Experience to Improve Rural Obstetric Care," is very down-to-earth, reducing errors in emergency, high-risk births.
The goal of this project according to Jeanne-Marie Guise, M.D., M.P.H., the principal investigator, is to bring the space agency's simulation technology and team performance training, proved to improve safety in aviation, into the field of obstetrics.
OHSU was awarded the $480,000, two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
This project promises to be transformational for Oregon's emergency preparedness, and for childbirth safety.
It's estimated that two-thirds of neonatal deaths or permanent disabilities occurring during childbirth are due to human factors, such as communication errors, and almost half due to staff competency issues, according to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
The CORDS curriculum focuses on these factors, and provides clinicians with important skills for efficient communication and knowledge for high-stress emergency situations.
"The whole idea is that there are medical emergencies that don't happen all that often, but when they do, the staff needs to be on the same page.
Once the curriculum is proved effective, it is intended to be available on compact disc so that busy hospitals can use it locally as frequently as they like to maintain and improve their clinical skills.
A secure Web site has been created to enable anonymous protected sharing of experiences, errors or close calls that occurred or almost occurred in real life so researchers can continue to build simulations that address common issues in real-life obstetrics.
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