A minicomputer-based perinatal/neonatal telecommunications network

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Systems Engineering
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• Limited availability of neonatal and maternal beds in tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
• Inefficiencies in current methods for locating available beds for patient transfers.
• Need for improved data for regional and statewide perinatal facility planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a minicomputer-based telecommunications network linking state NICUs.
• To provide real-time information on neonatal and maternal bed availability.
• To assess the network's impact on referral call volume and planning capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a telecommunications network connecting nine tertiary NICUs.
• Automatic updating of bed availability information every two hours.
• Computer simulation to analyze referral call reduction and time savings.

Main Results:

• Network information accuracy was 95%.
• Significant reduction in referral telephone calls (P < .0005) for patient transfers.
• Identified frequent statewide restrictions for high-risk patient care (16% of polls showed <2 NICUs accepting referrals).

Conclusions:

• The telecommunications network effectively improves access to care by optimizing bed allocation.
• The system provides a valuable database for perinatal facility planning.
• This cost-effective solution is superior to manual systems for managing limited regional perinatal resources.