Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27452066›Full record

ArticleGlobal health action

'Essential but not always available when needed' - an interview study of physicians' experiences and views regarding use of obstetric ultrasound in Tanzania.

Annika Åhman, Hussein Lesio Kidanto, Matilda Ngarina, Kristina Edvardsson, Rhonda Small, Ingrid Mogren

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Global health action. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Annika ÅhmanDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; annika.ahman@umu.se.
Hussein Lesio KidantoDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Matilda NgarinaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Kristina EdvardssonDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Rhonda SmallJudith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Ingrid MogrenDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Umeå University · SEMuhimbili National Hospital · TZLa Trobe University · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe value of obstetric ultrasound in high-income countries has been extensively explored but evidence is still lacking regarding the role of obstetric ultrasound in low-income countries.

objectiveWe aimed to explore experiences and views among physicians working in obstetric care in Tanzania, on the role of obstetric ultrasound in relation to clinical management.

designA qualitative study design was applied. Data were collected in 2015, through 16 individual interviews with physicians practicing in obstetric care at hospitals in an urban setting in Tanzania. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

resultsUse of obstetric ultrasound in the management of complicated pregnancy was much appreciated by participating physicians, although they expressed considerable concern about the lack of ultrasound equipment and staff able to conduct the examinations. These limitations were recognized as restricting physicians' ability to manage complications adequately during pregnancy and birth. Better availability of ultrasound was requested to improve obstetric management. Concerns were also raised regarding pregnant women's lack of knowledge and understanding of medical issues which could make counseling in relation to obstetric ultrasound difficult. Although the physicians perceived a positive attitude toward ultrasound among most pregnant women, occasionally they came across women who feared that ultrasound might harm the fetus.

conclusionsThere seems to be a need to provide more physicians in antenatal care in Tanzania with ultrasound training to enable them to conduct obstetric ultrasound examinations and interpret the results themselves. Physicians also need to acquire adequate counseling skills as counseling can be especially challenging in this setting where many expectant parents have low levels of education. Providers of obstetric care and policy makers in Tanzania will need to take measures to ensure appropriate use of the scarce resources in the Tanzanian health care system and prevent the potential risk of overuse of ultrasound in pregnancy.

Indexed as

fetusmaternal rightsobstetriciansobstetric ultrasoundphysicianspregnancypregnant womenprenatal diagnosisqualitative studyTanzania

Identifiers

PMID27452066
PMCPMC4958909
OpenAlexW2480308630

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.