May 16, 2022 – Community Health Systems announced today that its affiliated hospitals offering obstetrics services have deployed PeriWatch Vigilance, an artificial intelligence-based maternal-fetal early warning system. The technology, developed by perinatal software company, PeriGen, supports clinical decision-making and safety for mothers and babies during labor and delivery.
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning for pattern recognition, Vigilance monitors maternal vital signs, fetal heart rate, uterine contractions and labor progression to help clinical teams more consistently identify potential issues and abnormalities earlier for faster intervention. The system can also consolidate and analyze labor and delivery data over time for multiple births to identify modifiable factors and opportunities for continuous safety and quality improvement.
“The skilled physicians and nurses who deliver care in our affiliated hospitals have a longstanding commitment to patient safety and understand that technology can play an important role in supporting clinical decisions and care delivery,” said Lynn Simon, MD, President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer of Community Health Systems. “Childbirth is never routine. It’s an important, emotional, and personal experience for every family, and fortunately, most deliveries go very well. By taking patient safety to the next level in the labor and delivery process, our hospitals hope to prevent avoidable complications and provide more support for complex deliveries.”
Community Health Systems and PeriGen will present early results following implementation of Vigilance at the IHI Patient Safety Congress next week, including improvements in two modifiable factors that can contribute to birth injuries.
“Community Health Systems hospitals have recognized the benefit of supporting bedside nursing with advanced automation, and they have built exceptional processes leveraging discriminating Vigilance notifications system wide,” said Matthew Sappern, Chief Executive Officer of PeriGen. “We’re proud to be a part of the system’s commitment to advancements in patient safety and to help keep mothers and babies safe.”