With no white coat effect

With no white coat effect

Nobody needs convincing that white coats cause stress in some patients. This also applies to pregnant women, who need to stay calm during certain tests. One of them is CTG, i.e. cardiotocography. It enables measurement of foetal heart rate, maternal pulse, foetal movements and uterine contractions. Thanks to the company Nestmedic, this test can be done at home, at any time and without the stress of travelling to a clinic.

It was a startup from Wrocław, Nestmedic, that came up with an idea of creating a mobile CTG apparatus, which is of support for medical staff and parents-to-be. Having received appropriate instructions, patients can have a professional examination carried out in any place and at any time. ‘Our service is a telemedical system for checking fetal well-being in the third trimester of pregnancy. It consists of two elements: a small mobile CTG apparatus and a platform where tests are registered and analysed on an ongoing basis,’ said Patrycja Wizińska-Socha, the President of Nestmedic SA. A patient receives information about the test results from the Medical Telemonitoring Center run by qualified medical staff.

The portable device is connected to the platform and transmits the results to a database. ‘We have developed a version, which makes it possible to analyse the results in real time, also in places where data transfer is not possible. This can be done by a doctor or the woman’s midwife. In assessing the results, before they reach the Telemonitoring Centre, midwives are supported by a smartphone or tablet application,’ explained Maciej Stachowiak, the Technology and Development Director at Nestmedic.

Remote CTG
Pregnabit makes it possible to safely record the baby's heartbeat and uterine contractions, as well count foetal movements and record the mother's pulse. The recorded measurement data allows for professional remote CTG diagnosis. The new version of the product also has an option of real time analysis.

This new solution is the effect of a project financed by the EU. Pregnabit is a paid service, but, in Poland, it is also used by public institutions. ‘Doctors and midwives lend mobile CTG apparatus to patients, so our offer is addressed directly to medical centres. We have implemented our product in Finland and Nigeria. The system is being tested in Bulgaria. An attractive market for us is the US market, where telemedicine is undergoing the fastest growth,’ added the President of the company.

Project: PREGNABIT new-generation telemedical system for remote monitoring of foetal well-being
Project cost: approx. PLN 6.93 million, including PLN 4.96 million from the European Regional Development Fund, Smart Growth Programme