Medical Breakthroughs: Airstrip OB, A Smartphone App Helping Expectant Mothers and Doctors
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Updated: August 31, 2012
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National Park Hospital in Hot Springs is using a mobile device app to monitor women in labor. The app is called Airstrip OB and it is allowing doctors to check contractions, dilation and even mom's and baby's heartbeat all with a smart phone.
Doctors Brenda Powell and Renee Mcgraw had a check up with expectant mother Brittany Williams. Williams is in for her second C-Section at National Park, but this time her stay in the hospital has been different.
This new app can be downloaded onto a smart phone or tablet where doctors have important information about mom and baby at their fingertips.
"The Airstrip OB allows me to be watchful of my patients no matter what time of the day or night it is."
It doesn't matter if the patient is in for a non-stress test or in labor
"I can look at my Airstrip at anytime and be in constant contact with my nursing staff and the staff at the hospital."
All the while mom can still feel she is being cared for even though the doctor isn't in the room and Doctor Powell says it's proving to be very effective.
"Not delayed by a phone call, not delayed by not being able to find a computer to look at, it's in real time and very accurate," said Dr. Powell.
"It's relaxing, you know, just knowing that she knows what's going on."
And even though it's all done by a smart phone Brittany says doctors bedside manners stayed the same.
