Web-based quality assurance process drives improvements in obstetric ultrasound in 5 low- and middle-income countries

Jonathan O. Swanson, David Plotner, Holly L. Franklin, David L. Swanson, Victor Lokomba Bolamba, Adrien Lokangaka, Irma Sayury Pineda, Lester Figueroa, Ana Garces, David Muyodi, Fabian Esamai, Nancy Kanaiza, Waseem Mirza, Farnaz Naqvi, Sarah Saleem, Musaku Mwenechanya, Melody Chiwila, Dorothy Hamsumonde, Elizabeth M. McClure, Robert L. GoldenbergRobert O. Nathan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

High quality is important in medical imaging, yet in many geographic areas, highly skilled sonographers are in short supply. Advances in Internet capacity along with the development of reliable portable ultrasounds have created an opportunity to provide centralized remote quality assurance (QA) for ultrasound exams performed at rural sites worldwide. We sought to harness these advances by developing a web-based tool to facilitate QA activities for newly trained sonographers who were taking part in a cluster randomized trial investigating the role of limited obstetric ultrasound to improve pregnancy outcomes in 5 low- and middle-income countries. We were challenged by connectivity issues, by country-specific needs for website usability, and by the overall need for a high-throughput system. After systematically addressing these needs, the resulting QA website helped drive ultrasound quality improvement across all 5 countries. It now offers the potential for adoption by future ultrasound- or imaging-based global health initiatives.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)675-683
Number of pages9
JournalGlobal health, science and practice
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Dec 2016

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Web-based quality assurance process drives improvements in obstetric ultrasound in 5 low- and middle-income countries'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this