Type of publication:

Conference abstract

Author(s):

Le Vance J.; Man R.; *Adeoye A.; Amaranathan S.; Massey S.; Gurney L.; Morton V.H.; Morris R.K.

Citation:

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Conference: BMFMS Abstracts 2026. Leeds United Kingdom. 133(Supplement 1) (pp S29), 2026. Date of Publication: 01 Aug 2026.

Abstract:

Objective: Technological innovations in remote antenatal care have expanded rapidly, aiming to shift aspects of care outside the hospital setting. However, current research objectively heralds variable outcome reporting, currently limiting meaningful comparison. This review systematically examined the heterogeneity of outcome reporting in remote obstetric monitoring trials and determined the need for a core outcome set (COS). Method(s): Five databases were searched from January 2015 to November 2025. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), RCT protocols and randomised pilot studies evaluating any remote antenatal monitoring device with an appropriate comparator were included. Outcomes and their timing were extracted verbatim by two reviewers. Duplicate and similarly worded outcomes were removed, and outcome variability was assessed by the number of unique outcomes reported. Outcomes were categorised into domains. Result(s): Forty studies were included: 24 (60%) RCTs, 10 (25%) RCT protocols and 6 (15%) pilot RCTs. Blood pressure (17, 42.5%) and blood glucose monitoring (16, 40.0%) were the most frequently used technologies, with 19 studies (47.5%) employing multiple monitoring devices. Across all studies, 1,004 verbatim outcomes were reported, of which 11% (113) were primary outcomes. No single outcome was reported in all studies. After de-duplication, 361 unique outcomes remained, grouped into 73 domains. Glycaemic monitoring demonstrated the greatest definitional variation, with 29 distinct definitions. When stratified by measurement time-points, outcomes increased to 1,210, with fewer than 6% assessed beyond three months postpartum. Conclusion(s): This review demonstrated the current variability in consistent outcome reporting for remote antenatal monitoring trials. A COS is recommended for standardising outcome reporting.

DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.70283