Literature Compendium

BACKGROUND: The Fetal Welfare Obstetric emergency Neonatal resuscitation Training (FONT) project was initiated on a background of rising notifications of adverse events in NSW maternity units, the significant proportion of which were related to fetal welfare assessment. Aims: The aim of the study is to describe the development and introduction of the NSW state-wide interprofessional FONT project.

METHODS: Following development and risk assessment, FONT was launched in February 2008. The project consists of an online component and two face-to-face training days to be completed each 3 years; the first day for fetal welfare assessment and the second for obstetric and newborn emergencies. Eight, 2-day training sessions were conducted throughout NSW for FONT trainers. Each trainer underwent pre- and post-testing for changes in knowledge of fetal welfare assessment. The 2005-2008 NSW adverse event report numbers were assessed.

RESULTS: From 20 February to 17 April 2008, 240 trainers had been trained in fetal welfare assessment, and by the end of 2008 these trainers had trained 954 clinicians. There were significant improvements in the interpretation and management planning of electronic fetal heart rate patterns following training. Analysis of Severity Assessment Codes 1 and 2 showed no significant trend in the number of notifications for adverse events related to fetal welfare assessment.

CONCLUSIONS: In the first 11 months, 25% of the state's maternity practitioners had received training in the first stage of the FONT project. The FONT project has shown short-term improvements in learning and communication skills and in the participants of the project.

PubMed URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20716260