Table 2 Challenges and issues related to introduction of ultrasound in low-resource settings
Potential challenges with the introduction of ultrasound include | |
|---|---|
• | Security of the ultrasound machine |
• | Prevention of the use of the ultrasound equipment for sex determination/selection |
• | Infrastructure requirements, including electricity and maintenance |
• | Training issues for community physicians and para-professionals |
• | Diversion of resources from other clinical activities to ultrasound |
• | Use of resources required for life saving interventions to expenditures for US equipment |
• | Increase in unnecessary interventions |
• | Attrition of trained ultrasound personnel |
• | Health facilities improving to meet increases in demand generated by ultrasound |
• | Sustaining funding for continuous improvement in ultrasound training and care delivery |
Issues related to training various providers to use ultrasound identified include: | |
• | Defining the level of health care personnel who can be effectively trained in ultrasound use. |
• | Country regulations for type of health professional allowed to be certified in ultrasound use. |
• | Acceptability at the policy level of this trial to train health care professionals other than physicians and sonographers. |
• | Defining the type and length of training required to achieve reliable diagnoses by community physicians and non-physicians with various levels of training. |
• | Determining how well ultrasound can identify various conditions at different levels of care. |
• | Logistics of providing care while essential personnel are in ultrasound training. |