Knowledge, attitude and practices on developmental surveillance and screening among health professionals in Indian health care settings: An exploratory sequential mixed methods study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kritika Jain ◽  
John Solomon ◽  
Selvam Ramachandran
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Developmental Surveillance ◽  
Developmental Care ◽  
Health Care Settings ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Indian Health ◽  
Study Results

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of health care professionals in pediatric settings on developmental surveillance and screening programs and also to identify the barriers and facilitators during its implementation. METHODS: The data were collected from health professionals involved in pediatric developmental care, practicing in various hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in a suburban city on west coast of Southern India. The study involved cross-sectional exploratory sequential mixed method design which included a quantitative questionnaire survey on health professionals (n= 52) followed by qualitative face-to-face interviews with chosen respondents who participated in the survey (n= 8). The survey data are reported with descriptive statistics, and interview data are subjected to inductive content analysis for deriving codes, categories and themes. RESULTS: The study results indicate that health professionals involved in pediatric developmental care in Indian health care settings have fair knowledge and a favorable attitude towards the use of developmental surveillance and screening. Furthermore, the facilitators and barriers of implementation have been reported. The strategies outlined by interview respondents to improve adherence to implementation have been discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The practice of developmental surveillance and screening is limited despite favorable knowledge and attitude among health professionals in pediatric developmental care and is dependent on health care organizational setup.

scholarly journals Assessing Apps for Patients with Genitourinary Tumors Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS): Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Amor-García ◽  
Roberto Collado-Borrell ◽  
Vicente Escudero-Vilaplana ◽  
Alejandra Melgarejo-Ortuño ◽  
Ana Herranz-Alonso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Genitourinary Cancers

BACKGROUND The large number of available cancer apps and their impact on the population necessitates a transparent, objective, and comprehensive evaluation by app experts, health care professionals, and users. To date, there have been no analyses or classifications of apps for patients with genitourinary cancers, which are among the most prevalent types of cancer. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to analyze the quality of apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and identify high-quality apps. METHODS We performed an observational cross-sectional descriptive study of all smartphone apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers available on iOS and Android platforms. In July 2019, we searched for all available apps for patients with genitourinary cancers (bladder, prostate, cervical, uterine, endometrial, kidney, testicular, and vulvar) or their caregivers. Apps were downloaded and evaluated, and the general characteristics were entered into a database. The evaluation was performed by 2 independent researchers using the MARS questionnaire, which rates 23 evaluation criteria clustered in 5 domains (Engagement, Functionality, Esthetics, Information, and Subjective Quality) on a scale from 1 to 5. RESULTS In total, 46 apps were analyzed. Of these, 31 (67%) were available on Android, 6 (13%) on iOS, and 9 (20%) on both platforms. The apps were free in 89% of cases (41/46), and 61% (28/46) had been updated in the previous year. The apps were intended for prostate cancer in 30% of cases (14/46) and cervical cancer in 17% (8/46). The apps were mainly informative (63%, 29/46), preventive (24%, 11/46), and diagnostic (13%, 6/46). Only 7/46 apps (15%) were developed by health care organizations. The mean MARS score for the overall quality of the 46 apps was 2.98 (SD 0.77), with a maximum of 4.63 and a minimum of 1.95. Functionality scores were quite similar for most of the apps, with the greatest differences in Engagement and Esthetics, which showed acceptable scores in one-third of the apps. The 5 apps with the highest MARS score were the following: “Bladder cancer manager,” “Kidney cancer manager,” “My prostate cancer manager,” “Target Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Diary,” and “My Cancer Coach.” We observed statistically significant differences in the MARS score between the operating systems and the developer types (<i>P</i>&lt;.001 and <i>P</i>=.01, respectively), but not for cost (<i>P</i>=.62). CONCLUSIONS MARS is a helpful methodology to decide which apps can be prescribed to patients and to identify which features should be addressed to improve these tools. Most of the apps designed for patients with genitourinary cancers only try to provide data about the disease, without coherent interactivity. The participation of health professionals in the development of these apps is low; nevertheless, we observed that both the participation of health professionals and regular updates were correlated with quality.

scholarly journals ATTITUDE AND PRACTICING BEHAVIOUR AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REGARDING HANDWASHING:A TOOL TO PREVENT EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIONS.

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Syed Waseem Tahir ◽  
Sahila Nabi ◽  
Shazia Javaid
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitude And Practice

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Every year millions of patients around the world are affected by infections that are transmitted by the health-care professionals(HCPs).(2)(3). Rationale: Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of handwashing among healthcare professionals of Kashmir Division. Methods: This study was an institutional based cross sectional study, conducted in various healthcare institutions of Kashmir Division which were selected randomly. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the data from the participants. The questionnaires contained questions about four different parts which included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of hand washing, attitude and practice of hand washing among healthcare professionals. The questionnaires were distributed to various healthcare professionals working in wards, emergency department, laboratories, outpatient departments, injection and dressing rooms, EPI unit and others. The distributed questionnaires were then collected back. Results: A total of 110 participants were included. Out of total 110 participants,53% were male ,36% were nurses 36% of health professionals were working in IPD (In Patient Department). 89% of the participants agreed that, direct or indirect contacts are the most important routes for transmission of hospital-acquired infections,97% agreed that
 proper and consistent hand washing prevents infections in health facilities,100% agreed that health professionals should always wash their hands immediately when they arrive at health institutions,98% said that they knew steps of handwashing(WHO)/rules of hand hygiene,91% agreed that hand washing is the single most effective mechanism to prevent spread of infection and 95% agreed that wearing jewellery, artificial fingernails, damaged skin and regular use of hand cream are associated with increased likelihood of colonisation of hands with harmful germs. 83% of the participants said that they are committed to the proper rules of hand hygiene all the time,78% said they comply with rules of hand hygiene even in emergencies,80% said that they think when they are wearing gloves it is not necessary to wash hands,92% feel irritated when others don’t follow hand hygiene rules,95% advice others to follow the rules of hand hygiene and 97% said it is easy for you to follow rules of hand hygiene. 40%(each) of the participants said that they always and usually wash hands before touching a patient,100% of the participants said that they always wash hands before performing aseptic and clean procedures, 100% of the participants said that they always wash hands after being at risk of exposure to body fluids and 95% of patients said that they wash hands after coming to and before leaving the hospital. DISCUSSION In this study we had a total of 110 participants. Health professionals had a satisfactory knowledge of hand hygiene but some lacunae are still there as is evident in the result part. Thus from this study we conclude adherence to handwashing is lacking among health professionals, so we need to have regular handwashing sessions for health professionals which will regularly sensitize them, also we need to address the reasons of this poor adherence both at the administrative and personal level. We also recommend to conduct more studies in this field so as to highlight the shortcomings in hand hygiene and then to improve upon them.

scholarly journals CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND KNOWLEDGE OF ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AND DENTAL TREATMENT IN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN SOUTH CANARA DISTRICT.( KARNATAKA)

2014 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 028-032
Author(s):  
K.S Sharath ◽  
Manavi Prabhu ◽  
Biju Thomas ◽  
Shamila Shetty
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hygiene Practices

Abstract Objective: The purpose of the study is to estimate the knowledge, attitude and practise of the oral hygiene,and dental treatment, and its correlation with everyday oral hygiene practices among the health care professionals of south canara district ( Karnataka) Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted on 200 health care professionals between Jan 20th to Feb 20th 2013.Two hundred health professionals were asked to answer a questionnaire containing 15 questions.Data once collected was analysed using SPSS software. Results: 56.3% health professionals visited the dentist once in six months. 26% health professionals felt that unavailability of time is the main factor influencing dental visits. Main cause of taking a dental appointment in 33% subjects was found to be dental caries. 54.6% obtained information on oral hygiene practices through mass media followed by 22.3 % who obtained it directly from the dentist.59.2% brushed their teeth twice daily.50% used medium bristle tooth brush.48.5 % had a brushing time of 3-5 min. 41.5% did not use any other oral hygiene aid.28.64% got scaling done in the last 3-6 months. 56% did not have an habit of using a tooth pick. 43.3% used combination of circular, vertical and horizontal method of brushing.45.5% felt that scaling caused loss of enamel. Conclusion: It appears that knowledge, attitude, and behaviour attitude, practice and knowledge of oral hygiene practices and dental treatment in health care professionals in South Canara district is gud.Though more information needs to be provided about other oral hygiene aids.

scholarly journals Current state of knowledge of basic life support in health professionals of the largest city in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Babar Irfan ◽  
Ibrahim Zahid ◽  
Muhammad Sharjeel Khan ◽  
Omar Abdul Aziz Khan ◽  
Shayan Zaidi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Basic Life Support ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Sudden Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adequate Knowledge

Abstract Background Basic Life Support (BLS) is the recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system, followed by resuscitation, and rapid defibrillation. According to WHO, Pakistan has one of the highest mortality rates from accidental deaths therefore assessment and comparison of BLS knowledge in health professionals is crucial. We thereby aim to assess and compare the knowledge of BLS in doctors, dentists and nurses. Methods A multi-centric cross-sectional survey was conducted in Karachi at different institutions belonging to the private as well as government sector from January to March 2018. We used a structured questionnaire which was adapted from pretested questionnaires that have been used previously in similar studies. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS v22.0, where adequate knowledge was taken as a score of at least 50%. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors affecting the knowledge regarding BLS in health care professionals. Results The responders consisted of 140 doctors, nurses and dentists each. Only one individual (dentist) received a full score of 100%. In total, 58.3% of the population had inadequate knowledge. Average scores of doctors, dentists and nurses were 53.5, 43.3 and 38.4% respectively. Doctors, participants with prior training in BLS and those with 6 to 10 years after graduation were found to be a significant predictor of adequate knowledge, on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Even though knowledge of BLS in doctors is better than that of dentists and nurses, overall knowledge of health care professionals is extremely poor. Present study highlights the need for a structured training of BLS for health care workers.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Health Care Professionals on Parental Presence During Invasive Procedures and Resuscitation: A Cross-sectional Study in Eastern Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1549-1555
Author(s):  
Shyam Prasad Kafle ◽  
Mukesh Bhatta ◽  
Namu Koirala ◽  
Anupam Koirala
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Wound Repair ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Invasive Procedures ◽  
Parental Presence ◽  
Cross Sectional

Introduction: Trends are changing to allow parents and families to be with their child during invasive procedures. Because of the intense workload, there is a tendency to overlook the parents’ feelings. Attitudes of physicians and nurses are the common obstacles for this. Objective: To determine health care professionals’ attitudes toward parental presence during invasive procedures. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the health professionals in the department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of a tertiary care center in Eastern Nepal. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of the institute. Total sample size was 112 (83 nursing staff and 29 physicians). Attitudes of physicians and nursing staff towards parental presence during various invasive procedures were recorded in the predesigned proforma. Data was entered in MS Excel and analysed using SPSS version 21.0. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, independent t-test and one-way ANNOVA were used for data analysis at p<0.05. Results: Simple procedures like intravenous blood sampling and the simple wound repair or suture majority of the health professionals (71.1% to 79.3%) agreed for parental presence. Other major procedures including resuscitations, majority (69.0 % to 85.5%) disagreed for the parental presence. The most important factors considered was the child’s request (62.1% to 80.7%) for parental presence. The major likely reason for declining was unjustly blaming the medical staff for common/ simple complications (69.9%). Only for the simple wound repair, statistically significant differences were noted between the physicians and the nursing staff (p= 0.033) on the basis of years of experiences where the physicians preferred for the parental presence. Conclusion: Both the physicians and the nursing staff preferred not to allow the parents in the major invasive procedures including resuscitations whereas when the level of invasiveness decreased, the rate of approval increased in both the groups.

scholarly journals Factors associated with knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices towards COVID-19 in health care professionals in Lima, Peru

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 582
Author(s):  
Oriana Rivera-Lozada ◽  
Cesar Augusto Galvez ◽  
Elvis Castro-Alzate ◽  
Cesar Antonio Bonilla-Asalde
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Background: Nowadays, we are facing a disease caused by SARS-CoV- 2, known globally as COVID-19, which is considered a threat to global health due to its high contagiousness and rapid spread. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study in 302 health professionals. An online questionnaire consisting of questions about knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 was applied. Socio- demographic, occupational and comorbidities factors were explored. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with KAP. Results: Of the total, 25.2%, 31.5% and 37.4% had high levels of knowledge, preventive practices and risk perception attitudes respectively. Being married aOR=6.75 CI(1.46-31.2) p=0.014, having a master's degree aOR=0.4, CI(0.21-0.80) p=0.009, having a working day with less than ten hours ORa=0.49 CI(0.25-0.95) p=0.036 and obesity aOR=0.38 CI (0.15-0.95) p=0.039 were associated with a low level of knowledge of COVID-19. The variables associated with preventive practices were being over the age of 50 aOR=0.52 CI(0.27-0.98) p=0.007, working in the hospitalization area aOR=1.86 CI(1.08-3.18) p= 0.018 and having comorbidities such as arterial hypertension aOR=0.28 CI(0.081-0.99) p=0.02 and obesity aOR=0.35 CI(0.14-0.83) p=0.019. In relation to negative attitudes towards COVID-19, it was found that physical contact with patients with a confirmed diagnosis aOR=1.84 CI (1.14-2.97) p=0.006 and having asthma aOR=2.13 CI(1.081-4.22) p=0.029 were associated with these attitudes. Conclusion: Our study revealed that health professionals have an insufficient level of knowledge of COVID-19. This is why we recommend implementing strategies such as health literacy programs among health care workers. Thus, they can help develop positive

scholarly journals The management of infant developmental needs by community nurses - Part 1: Description of the responsibilities of community nurses with regard to the management of infant developmental needs

Curationis ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Leech ◽  
N.C. Van Wyk ◽  
C.J.E. Uys
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Professional Collaboration ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
Developmental Surveillance ◽  
Developmental Care ◽  
Health Care Clinics ◽  
Service Managers

This article is one of two that describes the responsibilities of community nurses, according to their legal scope of practice, with regard to the management of developmental needs of infants in primary health care clinics in South Africa. A subsequent article describes the development of guidelines for the support of community nurses to address the developmental needs of infants 0 - 2 years. While evidence confirms that developmental surveillance should be incorporated into the ongoing health care of the infant, such services are not consistently provided in health care settings and, if provided, the delivery thereof suffers from significant inadequacies. A case study strategy was used to investigate the phenomenon and content analysis utilised to analyze the data. The Transactional Model of Development was selected to interpret the data obtained in the study. Findings of the study show that infant developmental care is not included to its fullest potential in the health care delivered to infants and their families, thereby indicating that community nurses do not meet the standards of the profession with regard to the management of infant developmental needs. Health service managers need to review their commitment and type of support to community nurses, if infant developmental care, as part of community nurses’ responsibilities, is to be effective and of high quality. Furthermore, community nurses and other health care professionals must recognize the nature and potential of inter-professional collaboration to ensure positive outcomes for infants with developmental delays and disabilities.

scholarly journals Assessing Apps for Patients with Genitourinary Tumors Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS): Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis

10.2196/17609 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e17609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Amor-García ◽  
Roberto Collado-Borrell ◽  
Vicente Escudero-Vilaplana ◽  
Alejandra Melgarejo-Ortuño ◽  
Ana Herranz-Alonso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Genitourinary Cancers

Background The large number of available cancer apps and their impact on the population necessitates a transparent, objective, and comprehensive evaluation by app experts, health care professionals, and users. To date, there have been no analyses or classifications of apps for patients with genitourinary cancers, which are among the most prevalent types of cancer. Objective The objective of our study was to analyze the quality of apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and identify high-quality apps. Methods We performed an observational cross-sectional descriptive study of all smartphone apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers available on iOS and Android platforms. In July 2019, we searched for all available apps for patients with genitourinary cancers (bladder, prostate, cervical, uterine, endometrial, kidney, testicular, and vulvar) or their caregivers. Apps were downloaded and evaluated, and the general characteristics were entered into a database. The evaluation was performed by 2 independent researchers using the MARS questionnaire, which rates 23 evaluation criteria clustered in 5 domains (Engagement, Functionality, Esthetics, Information, and Subjective Quality) on a scale from 1 to 5. Results In total, 46 apps were analyzed. Of these, 31 (67%) were available on Android, 6 (13%) on iOS, and 9 (20%) on both platforms. The apps were free in 89% of cases (41/46), and 61% (28/46) had been updated in the previous year. The apps were intended for prostate cancer in 30% of cases (14/46) and cervical cancer in 17% (8/46). The apps were mainly informative (63%, 29/46), preventive (24%, 11/46), and diagnostic (13%, 6/46). Only 7/46 apps (15%) were developed by health care organizations. The mean MARS score for the overall quality of the 46 apps was 2.98 (SD 0.77), with a maximum of 4.63 and a minimum of 1.95. Functionality scores were quite similar for most of the apps, with the greatest differences in Engagement and Esthetics, which showed acceptable scores in one-third of the apps. The 5 apps with the highest MARS score were the following: “Bladder cancer manager,” “Kidney cancer manager,” “My prostate cancer manager,” “Target Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Diary,” and “My Cancer Coach.” We observed statistically significant differences in the MARS score between the operating systems and the developer types (P<.001 and P=.01, respectively), but not for cost (P=.62). Conclusions MARS is a helpful methodology to decide which apps can be prescribed to patients and to identify which features should be addressed to improve these tools. Most of the apps designed for patients with genitourinary cancers only try to provide data about the disease, without coherent interactivity. The participation of health professionals in the development of these apps is low; nevertheless, we observed that both the participation of health professionals and regular updates were correlated with quality.

scholarly journals Social Networking App Use Among Primary Health Care Professionals: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc X Marin-Gomez ◽  
Francesc Garcia Cuyas ◽  
Ramon Reig-Bolano ◽  
Jacobo Mendioroz ◽  
Pere Roura-Poch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Primary Health

BACKGROUND Several studies have been conducted to analyze the role social networks play in communication between patients and health professionals. However, there is a shortage of studies in relation to communication among primary health professionals, in a professional context, using the various mobile phone apps available. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to explore mobile phone social networking app use among primary health care professionals for work-related purposes, by comparing the most widely used apps in the market. METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study using an anonymous Web survey among a convenience sample of 1635 primary health care professionals during August and September 2017. RESULTS Of 483 participants in the survey, 474 (98.1%, 95% CI 97.1%-99.4%) were health professionals who commonly accessed social networking sites and 362 (74.9%, 95% CI 71.1%-78.8%) accessed the sites in a work-related context. Of those 362 respondents, 219 (96.7%, 95% CI 94.8%-98.5%) preferred WhatsApp for both personal and professional uses. Of the 362 respondents who used social networking sites in a work-related context, 276 (76.2%, 95% CI 71.9%-80.6%) rated social networking sites as useful or very useful to solve clinical problems, 261 (72.1%, 95% CI 67.5%-76.7%) to improve their professional knowledge, and 254 (70.2%, 95% CI 65.5%-74.9%) to speed up the transmission of clinical information. Most of them (338/362, 94.8%, 95% CI 92.5%-97.0%) used social networking sites for interprofessional communications, and 204 of 362 (56.4%, 95% CI 51.2%-61.5%) used them for pharmacological-related consultations. CONCLUSIONS Health professionals frequently accessed social networking sites using their mobile phones and often for work-related issues. This trend suggests that social networking sites may be useful tools in primary care settings, but we need to ensure the security of the data transfer process to make sure that social networking sites are used appropriately. Health institutions need to increase information and training activities to ensure the correct use of these tools.

scholarly journals Maternal health care professionals’ experiences and views on the use of obstetric ultrasound in Rwanda: A cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Mogren ◽  
Joseph Ntaganira ◽  
Jean Paul Semasaka Sengoma ◽  
Sophia Holmlund ◽  
Rhonda Small ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Maternal Health Care ◽  
Obstetric Ultrasound ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maternal Request ◽  
Ultrasound Study

Abstract Background This study, undertaken in Rwanda, aimed to investigate health professionals’ experiences and views on the following topics: current clinical guidelines for ultrasound from second trimester at the clinic, regional and national levels, and adherence to clinical guidelines; medically indicated ultrasound examinations; non-medical use of ultrasound including ultrasounds on maternal request; commercialisation of ultrasound; the value of ultrasound in relation to other clinical examinations in pregnancy; and ultrasound and medicalisation of pregnancy. Methods A cross-sectional design was adopted. Health professionals providing antenatal care and delivery services to pregnant women in 108 health facilities were invited to complete a survey, which was developed based on the results of earlier qualitative studies undertaken as part of the CROss Country Ultrasound Study (CROCUS). Results Nine hundred and seven health professionals participated: obstetricians/gynecologists (3.2%,) other physicians (24.5%), midwives (29.7%) and nurses (42.7%). Few physicians reported the existence of clinical guidelines at clinic, regional or national levels in Rwanda, and guidelines were moderately adhered to. Three obstetric ultrasound examinations were considered medically indicated in an uncomplicated pregnancy. Most participants (73.0%) were positive about obstetric ultrasound examinations on maternal request. Commercialisation was not considered a problem, and the majority (88.5%) agreed that ultrasound had contributed to medicalisation of pregnancy. Conclusions Findings indicate that clinical guidelines for the use of obstetric ultrasound are limited in Rwanda. Non-medically indicated obstetric ultrasound was not considered a current problem at any level of the healthcare system. The positive attitude to obstetric ultrasound examinations on maternal request may contribute to further burden on a maternal health care system with limited resources. It is essential that limited obstetric ultrasound resources are allocated where they are most beneficial, and clearly stated medical indications would likely facilitate this.

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