Intelligent Intermittent Auscultation in Labour e-learning now live

The Intelligent Intermittent Auscultation (IIA) in Labour e-learning programme aims to improve safety for mothers and babies in low risk labour and birth by improving the knowledge, skills and confidence of midwives to undertake the monitoring of a baby’s heartbeat in an intelligent manner. 

Intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart is the recommended method of fetal monitoring for all women who are considered at low risk of fetal hypoxia during labour. Improving these skills for all midwives in any birth setting will ensure early recognition of deterioration or abnormalities in the fetal heart rate and that appropriate action is taken promptly.

National reports (Each Baby Counts, RCOG, 2018 and Saving Babies Lives V2, NHSE, 2019) highlight the importance of intermittent auscultation and specifically identify which aspects should be included in training and how this training should be assessed. This programme meets those requirements, is unique because it uses real fetal heart sounds to ensure that learning is interactive and helps organisations meet the requirements of SBL Version Two: A care bundle for reducing perinatal mortality.

Health Education England has worked with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Academic Health Science Network and University of Oxford’s OxSTaR centre to develop the programme.

For more information about the programme, including details of how to access the e-learning sessions, visit: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/intelligent-intermittent-auscultation-in-labour/

Or contact Eileen Dudley, Patient Safety Manager, OxSTaR at Eileen.dudley@oxfordahsn.org