Aims: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disability. Australian guidelines recommend that pregnant women are informed about CMV to reduce their risk of infection; however, less than 10% of maternity health professionals routinely provide prevention advice. The aim was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an eLearning course for midwives to improve knowledge and confidence about CMV. Materials and Methods: Participants undertaking the course between March and November 2020 were invited to complete an evaluation questionnaire: before the course (T1), immediately after (T2) and three months post completion (T3). A linear mixed model was used to evaluate change in participant scores; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Midwives (316/363, 87%), midwifery students (29/363, 8%) and nurses (18/363, 5%) participated. At T1 80% indicated they had not received education about CMV. Total adjusted mean scores for questionnaires completed between T1 (n = 363) and T2 (n = 238) increased significantly (from 17.2 to 22.8, P < 0.001). Limited available T3 scores (n = 27) (−1.7, P < 0.001), while lower than T2, remained higher than at T1 (+3.6, P < 0.001). Participants' awareness of CMV information resources improved from 10 to 97% from T1 to T2. Confidence in providing CMV advice increased from 6 to 95% between T1 and T2 (P < 0.001) and was maintained at T3. Almost all (99%) participants indicated they would recommend the course to colleagues. Conclusion: Participants who completed the eLearning course had significantly improved knowledge and confidence in providing advice about CMV. Programs targeting other maternity health professionals should be considered, to further support the implementation of the congenital CMV prevention guidelines.

Variation in outcome measurement and long-term follow up has hampered the ability of RCTs to contribute data on important outcomes for CP, resulting in lost opportunities to measure the impact of maternal and neonatal interventions. There is an urgent need for and long-term follow up of these interventions and an agreed set of standardised and clinically relevant common data elements for study end-points.

Focus of Presentation Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a known cause of sensorineural hearing loss, cerebral palsy and other disabilities. International consensus guidelines (2017) and the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (2014) recommend all pregnant women be provided with information on CMV and strategies to reduce their risk of infection. Here we describe the multifaceted strategies implemented to date to promote uptake of these guidelines. Findings At policy level, we influenced national clinical practice standards through input into new CMV prevention recommendations by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Department of Health, which sparked state public health campaigns. At the intervention level, we presented hospital in-services, podcasts and webinars and developed an e-learning course for midwives. In collaboration with the Department of Health &gt;11,000 pamphlets were disseminated to NSW GPs. At the community level, we developed patient information and media resources. During a recent month-long campaign, our cCMV video had &gt;62,000 views, CMV content on social media had &gt;1.4M total impressions, &gt;77,000 total engagements and &gt;200,000 viewed CMV awareness pieces via television/radio/print. Conclusions/Implications Implementation of congenital CMV practice guidelines provide an important opportunity to prevent neurodevelopmental disability. Collaborations between families, clinicians, researchers, professional bodies and health departments are essential to drive translation. Key messages A multifaceted approach in implementing congenital CMV practice guidelines gives the opportunity to reach numerous stakeholders including policymakers, health professionals and expectant mothers.