Investigator(s)
| Submitter |
Sonam Sonam JDWNRH Sonam Sonam 
|
| Principal Investigator |
Sonam Sonam JDWNRH Sonam Sonam
|
Title(s) and abstract
| Scientific title | Improvement of Child Health in Low-Resource-Settings through Implementation of Ultrasonography |
| Public title | Improvement of Child Health in Low-Resource-Settings through Implementation of Ultrasonography |
| Background | The project, EKFS-GTP International Paediatric Ultrasound Network (IPUN) sets out to create a network within which child health shall be improved via access to qualitative ultrasonography. To this end, the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics & International Child Health (GTP) e.V. and its partners from Dar es Salaam and Dodoma in Tanzania, from Blantyre and Zomba in Malawi, and Kathmandu in Nepal, funded by the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung (EKFS), will jointly establish a sustainable infrastructure that equips the sites with appropriate ultrasound equipment (funded by EKFS with the framework the IPUN project). The network will conceive targeted ultrasound training curricula, offer regular ultrasound training at the partner sites, and scientifically support the activities within the IPUN project. The latter is to be acquired via needs assessments for ultrasound application and training at the partner sites as well as ultrasound training evaluations. Survey-based assessments and interviews with stakeholders involved in ultrasound application, as well as ultrasound training course participants, will be conducted and subsequently targeted ultrasound applications will be developed in response to these summaries. GTP in collaboration with Department of pediatrics of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu is planning to conduct the first pediatric ultrasound training for the Doctors and other health staff involved in child health care. |
| Objectives | 1. To assess the needs and fields for ultrasound application and training. 2. To evaluate quality of training offered through ultrasound courses. 3. To evaluate acquisition of knowledge and skills through ultrasound courses. 4. To evaluate retention of knowledge and skills after ultrasound courses. 5. To evaluate translation of knowledge and skills acquired through ultrasound courses into routine patient care. 6. To assess quality of ultrasound examinations provided by ultrasound course graduates. 7. To identify facilitators for “train the trainer” concepts and assess facilitators and barriers to sustainability. 8. To assess technical aspects of ultrasound devices. |
| Study Methods | The health workers taking part in the ultrasound training will be enrolled in the study. The project aims at enrolling at least 80% of ultrasound course participants in the needs assessment survey and ultrasound course evaluations. With two courses per partner site per year and approximately 20 course participants per course the overall expected participant sample size in the IPUN project is approximately 1000 course participants over the five years project period. With the aim of enrolling 80% of course participants an overall 800 participants are expected to participate in the proposed assessments and evaluations. Data will be analyzed in a descriptive way; for quantitative data descriptive summary statistics will be generated, for qualitative data descriptive data synthesis will be generated. Interim data from surveys and assessments will feed into Delphi discussions in order to take decisions on the need and way of adapting training curricula. Data from course participants and interviewees will be pseudonymised; any person providing informed consent will be allocated a unique identifier number. Data from patients will be anonymised and no patient identifiable information will be recorded. Data will be collected using online-based data collection forms using a central online-database (e.g. RedCap (Research Electronic Data Capture; a browser-based, metadata-driven EDC software and workflow methodology for designing clinical and translational research databases that is widely used in the academic research community; RedCap Consortium is a collaborative, international network of more than 5900 institutional partners in 145 countries). In case online collection is not possible, paper-based forms will be used and entered into the electronic database manually. Data mana |
| Expected outcomes and use of results | Data collected through the online survey directly feeds into a secured database for consecutive quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Information and perspectives collected through interviews which will be led by the investigators and ultrasound course trainers, will be transcribed and analyzed in a qualitative manner. Delphi discussions will be led by a facilitator that will collect and analyze perspectives from experts and then identify and summarize common and conflicting viewpoints. The questionnaires will be completed by the participants at the beginning and at the end of the ultrasound course. An additional post-course practical skills assessment will be done by objective structured clinical (ultrasound) examination (OSCE) comprising the core practical learning targets of the respective ultrasound courses (Annex 6: Example of an OSCE for post-course assessment). Pre- and post-course knowledge and skills will be compared to identify sufficient and insufficient knowledge and skills gains and adapt consecutive course curricula respectively. To evaluate retention of ultrasound knowledge ultrasound course participants will be invited to participate in online surveys that w |
| Keywords | Children, POCUS, Ultrasound |
Research Details
| Student research | No |
| Start Date | 25-Nov-2024 |
| End Date | 31-Dec-2026 |
| Key Implementing Institution | German Tropical Pediatrics- International Paediatric Ultrasound Network (IPUN) |
| Multi-country research | Yes |
| Bhutan, Nepal | |
| Nationwide research | Yes |
| Research Domain(s) | Maternal, Reproductive and Child Health |
| Research field(s) | Child Health |
| Involves human subjects | Yes |
| Health System and Policy Research | |
| Data Collection | Primary and secondary data |
| Proposal reviewed by other Committee | Approved |