Open AccessPoint-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in a remote area of Sierra Leone: impact on patient management and training program for community health officers
Author(s) -
Vittorio Sabatino,
Maria Rosaria Caramia,
Antonietta Curatola,
Francesca Vassallo,
Andrea Deidda,
Bianca Cinicola,
Francesco Iodice,
Carlo Caffarelli,
Nicola Sverzellati,
Danilo Buonsenso
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1971-3495
pISSN - 1876-7931
DOI - 10.1007/s40477-019-00426-w
Subject(s) - medicine , sierra leone , point of care ultrasound , health care , ultrasonography , ultrasound , physical examination , point of care testing , family medicine , physical therapy , radiology , pathology , development economics , economics , economic growth
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been shown to have unique potential in low-income countries. Physicians and other healthcare providers can perform effective scans after a short period of training. This study aimed to evaluate indications and utility of ultrasonography as the main imaging service in a poor rural sub-Saharan region of Africa. Second, it evaluated the effect of a short training on POCUS for non-physician health providers and their agreement with a group of Italian physicians.