New Resource for Managing Postpartum Hemorrhage and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia Now Available

We are excited to announce the release of the Obstetric Emergency Drills Training Kit, a free resource available for clinicians anywhere in the world!

Obstetric emergencies present a complex predicament: fortunately, they are rare; unfortunately, they are serious, and their infrequency gives health providers few opportunities to practice, maintain, and build their skills in handling such situations. One strategy for addressing this dilemma is to implement obstetric emergency drills, scenario-based trainings conducted in ‘real time’ in the normal working environment.

Training midwives, nurses, and physicians to use obstetric emergency drills in their own facilities strengthens teamwork, communication, and practical skills in managing obstetric emergencies. Practicing care delivery through obstetric emergency drills also allows providers to improve efficiency, accessibility, and workflow within and among facilities. And providing health facilities with tools to improve their capacity to handle obstetric emergency events can make a global impact. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), effective interventions to prevent and treat postpartum hemorrhage can significantly reduce its global burden. WHO also states that providing timely and effective care can prevent the majority of deaths due to pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

As part of a research and capacity building project, which sought to strengthen both labor and delivery services and referrals in and between health facilities, Argentina’s Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy and the Maternal Health Task Force have developed an obstetric emergency drills training manual and supporting materials. It is our hope that, when combined, these resources are invaluable for clinicians seeking ways to prepare for obstetric emergencies.

The comprehensive set of materials teaches teams to conduct obstetric emergency drills and evaluate the experience following the drills. This kit provides training tools and reference materials to be used in conjunction with evidence-based guidelines and facility protocols to implement obstetric emergency drills.

Download and Share the Obstetric Emergency Drills Training Kit

We encourage the maternal health community to download and share these free, comprehensive resources with their networks! The Obstetric Emergency Drills Training Kit includes the following materials:

• Trainer’s Manual. The manual serves as a guide for members of a quality improvement team from a delivery ward to promote and practice team skills for obstetric emergencies. It outlines the steps necessary to run obstetric emergency drills on a random schedule within an obstetrics unit and offers strategies for recording the drills and leading debriefing sessions to improve team communication, responsiveness, and emergency preparedness.
• Presentation. The slideshow informs hospital or delivery ward administrators and other stakeholders of the purpose and process of running obstetric emergency drills. Instructions on how and when to use the presentation can be found in the trainer’s manual.
• Video. The short video shows trainings using obstetric emergency drills in Karnataka, India and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Please note that the authors intend for quality improvement teams to utilize all of the materials in the Obstetric Emergency Drills Training Kit together; they do not advise using any item on its own.

We would love to hear about your experience using these materials. How did obstetric emergency drills work in your facility? What did you find useful?  Please send feedback to mhtf@hsph.harvard.edu.