The use of a novel sensorized simulation platform for real-time labor progression assessment

Objective To prove the potentialities of an integrated and sensorized childbirth platform as an innovative simulator for education of inexperienced gynecological and obstetrical medical students. Methods A total of 152 inexperienced medical students were recruited to a simulation program on labor progression evaluation. After an introductory lecture on basic concepts of labor and birth given by an expert gynecologist, three different gynecologic scenarios were simulated using both a traditional obstetric simulator and the innovative proposed platform, for a total of six tests for each student. A score was assigned for each performed scenario, based on its correctness. Self-assessment questionnaires were compiled before and after the simulation program for additional subjective assessment. Results Median score of the simulations performed with our platform was significantly higher than that of the simulations performed with a traditional simulator, for all the three experimented scenarios (P < 0.001). Conclusions The use of a sensorized platform for labor progression allowed for an accurate and faster diagnosis if compared with a traditional simulator even for inexperienced operators, supporting its use in clinical training, which could be realistically introduced into the clinical practice for medical student education.