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Vital Signs: How e-learning for Midwives and Sonographers in Developing Countries Can Help to Save Lives. Neha Baj Project Manager. About me. Director of Anu Technologies - Learning and Development Consultancy firm: www.anu-tech.com
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Vital Signs: How e-learning for Midwives and Sonographers in Developing Countries Can Help to Save Lives Neha Baj Project Manager
About me • Director of Anu Technologies - Learning and Development Consultancy firm: www.anu-tech.com • Computer Engineer with Masters in Educational Technology • Projects for school leaders, nurses, radiologists, dentists, radiotherapists, business project managers • Project Manager at e-Learning for Healthcare, Health Education England: www.e-lfh.org.uk • Award-winning e-learning projects
background • World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology • Educational Centres of Excellence in developing countries e.g. Uganda, Venezuela, Romania • Sponsorship of educational efforts and support for trainees to visit educational institutions • e-learning reaches remote communities with a consistent approach
JUSTIFICATION • Lack of sonographers in rural communities • High maternal mortality rate from sonographically detectable and potentially treatable conditions
Problem statements • Ultrasound in rural facilities is done by nurses and midwives; very few personnel • Radiologists are in large cities, in large hospitals • Training centers located only in the cities • Rural-based personnel move to the city to train for weeks/months, leaving a vacuum in rural health facilities
Pilot in Uganda • Move training to mainly in the rural centre • Theory part mainly in urban training centre • Some visiting lecturers to rural centre • Practical part started in urban centre, but portable Ultrasound machines for hands-on training in the community • e-Learning to support training both in urban and rural centre
The team • Dr Paul Dubbins – Head of WFUMB Education Committee • Radiologists and sonographers in Plymouth, England • Ultrasound equipment expert – Toshiba • Patient images – mommies! • e-learning software supplier – e-Learning for Healthcare • Graphics and animation designers • Instructional designer – me! • Content and instructional design reviewers
Cost Breakdown • We only spent money on: • Graphics and animation development • Graphics purchases: sourced for free or provided by e-Learning for Healthcare wherever possible, occasional costs absorbed by Anu Tech • Travel expenses for two meetings
Project contents • Ten thirty-minute e-learning sessions: • Normal early pregnancy • Abnormal early pregnancy • Scanning in second and third trimesters • Fetal measurement and age calculation • Fetal abnormality • Multiple pregnancy
Authoring tool: eXact Packager by Exact Learning Solutions Templated page designs provided by e-Learning for Healthcare
Delivery • Computers in training centres and laptops provided for use in rural locations • Pilot in Uganda • Offline using memory sticks • Online, on my website via www.tinyurl.com/wfumb
EVALUATION • Online survey with survey monkey • Word-based survey – printed out
RESULTS • 100% satisfied overall • All reported problems with video and image loading speed when accessed online • Some felt more detail was needed in content • Problems with accessing Flash-based content e.g. animations • Video too fast to see what’s happening “Interactive and not boring!”
OUTCOMES • Provision of obstetrics ultrasound services in rural communities increases maternal (and paternal!) engagement • Maternal and fetal health problems identified early and referred early • Hopefully…better mortality rates for mum and baby
NEXT STEPS • Convert Flash to HTML5 and accessibility-friendly version • Development of Basic Physics module • Delivery on LMS/other web server • Partnership with manufacturers to enable delivery alongside equipment • Dissemination to other WFUMB Educational Centres of Excellence • e-learning on simple phones?
QUESTIONS? neha.baj@anu-tech.com