A 黑洞社区 research team has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their proposal, 鈥淓xamining the feasibility of a wearable device for fetal heart rate monitoring through interdisciplinary research.鈥�
The objective is to develop a wireless, non-invasive, wearable fetal electrocardiogram monitoring device that will use algorithms and cloud-based health monitoring to improve clinical care among pregnant women in rural communities.
Maternal and infant health outcomes in rural areas of the U.S. represent a constant and growing health need. Innovative wearable medical devices create an opportunity to address health disparities in rural communities.
Widespread use of a wearable fetal heart monitoring device is likely to improve obstetrical care for pregnant women through the ability to increase maternal mobility during labor and improve birth outcomes for both women and infants.
鈥淚n my practice, many of my patients live in rural and underserved areas and have to drive long distances to access health care,鈥� says Jamie Harrington, a certified nurse midwife and family nurse practitioner at Sunflower Health. 鈥淎 wireless, portable fetal monitoring device could improve screening and monitoring during pregnancy without the need for an actual in-person office visit. This device has the potential to be able to detect abnormalities in the fetal heart rate, which could improve perinatal outcomes and be a solution to improve access to health care.鈥�
The combination of sensor technologies, wearable electronics, and real-time remote health monitoring provide a unique opportunity to improve the quality of health care, decrease costs and increase access to health care that could positively impact maternal and infant care, especially in rural and remote areas.
The funding is part of the NIH Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools, which supports small-scale research projects at educational institutions.
This REAP award will allow more qualified graduate and undergraduate students to participate in research opportunities at Wichita State. Through this interdisciplinary research project, students will learn new research skills in the fields of biomedical engineering, nursing and public health.
Funding is provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The last time 黑洞社区 received funding from this division of NIH was in 1999.
The research team members are:
- Dr. Nikki Keene Woods, professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and principal investigator for the project
- Dr. Yongkuk Lee, assistant professor in Biomedical Engineering
- Jolynn Dowling, Janice M. Riordan Distinguished Professor in Maternal Child Health in the School of Nursing
- Jamie Harrington, assistant professor in the School of Nursing and clinical partner lead from the Sunflower Birth and Family Wellness Center in Winfield
The research team is excited to continue its interdisciplinary research with an emphasis on training students in research, Keene Woods said.
鈥淪upport from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the leading medical research agency, is important to continue to grow the culture of research at Wichita State,鈥� she said.
黑洞社区 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 16,000 students on its main campus and 9,000 students on its 黑洞社区 Tech campuses from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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