Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35912493›Full record

ArticleJournal of telemedicine and telecare2024

Implementation and evaluation of a pilot antenatal ultrasound imaging programme using tele-ultrasound in Ethiopia.

Kemal Jemal, Dereje Ayana, Felagot Tadesse, Mulat Adefris, Mukemil Awol, Mengistu Tesema, Bewunetu Dagne, Sandra Abeje, Alehegn Bantie, Megan Butler and 4 more

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

Article in Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 7% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
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

14 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Kemal JemalDepartment of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.
Dereje AyanaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.
Felagot TadesseDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Paul's Hospital Millennium College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mulat AdefrisDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Mukemil AwolDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.
Mengistu TesemaDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.
Bewunetu DagneDepartment of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences, Salale University, Fitche, Ethiopia.
Sandra AbejeCanadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Alehegn BantieCanadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Megan ButlerFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Chikezirim NwokeDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
Zakhar KanyukaCollege of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5777-0610
Scott J AdamsDepartment of Medical Imaging, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8243-9903
Ivar MendezDepartment of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Salale UniversityUniversity of Saskatchewan · CACarleton University · CAMcGill University Health Centre · CASt. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College · ETUniversity of Gondar · ET

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionUltrasound imaging is an important aspect of antenatal care, though access to antenatal ultrasound imaging is limited in many developing countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate a pilot programme which aimed to improve access to antenatal ultrasound for rural Ethiopians through enhanced training of healthcare providers (including midwives, nurses and clinical officers) with support remotely provided by obstetricians using a tele-ultrasound platform.

methodsThirteen healthcare providers in the North Shoa Zone in Ethiopia completed training to enable them to perform antenatal ultrasound with the remote supervision of an obstetrician via a tele-ultrasound platform. Pregnant women attending an antenatal appointment at two facilities were offered an antenatal ultrasound exam performed by one of the healthcare providers. Image interpretations between obstetricians and healthcare providers were compared. Participants and healthcare providers were invited to complete a questionnaire regarding their experience with tele-ultrasound, and participants, healthcare providers and obstetricians were interviewed regarding their experience with the tele-ultrasound pilot programme.

results2795 pregnant women had an antenatal ultrasound exam. Of 100 exams randomly selected to assess concordance between healthcare providers' and obstetricians' image interpretations, concordance ranged from 79% to 100% for each parameter assessed. 99.4% of participants surveyed indicated that they would recommend antenatal ultrasound using tele-ultrasound to friends and family. Themes relating to participants' experiences of having a tele-ultrasound exam were reduced travel and cost, equivalence in quality of virtual care to in-person care and empowerment through diagnostic information.

conclusionHealthcare provider-performed antenatal ultrasound - supported by obstetricians via tele-ultrasound - showed high levels of concordance, was well-received by participants and provided rural Ethiopian women with enhanced access to antenatal imaging.

Indexed as

Ultrasonography, PrenatalAdultEthiopiaFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansPilot ProjectsPregnancyPrenatal CareTelemedicineYoung Adultantenatal careEthiopiaglobal healthTelemedicinetele-ultrasoundultrasound

Identifiers

PMID35912493
PMCPMC11367800
OpenAlexW4289337916

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.