AJR ARRS Member Benefits
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ferraioli, G.
Right arrow Articles by Meloni, M. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ferraioli, G.
Right arrow Articles by Meloni, M. F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
DOI:10.2214/AJR.07.2202
AJR 2007; 189:W119-W122
© American Roentgen Ray Society

Original Research

Sonographic Training Program at a District Hospital in a Developing Country: Work in Progress

Giovanna Ferraioli1 and Maria Franca Meloni2

1 Infectious and Tropical Diseases Division, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS) San Matteo, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
2 Radiology Department, Vimercate General Hospital, Milan, Italy.

OBJECTIVE. The purposes of this study were to assess the feasibility of a sonographic training program at a district hospital in a developing country and to evaluate the effect of the program on public health care services.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. A sonographic training program is being conducted on Pemba Island, Tanzania. A maximum of 10 trainees participate in the program. Courses in sonography conducted by European physicians are scheduled every 4 months for 2 consecutive weeks each time. The sonographic training program lasts 5 years and is divided into three stages in which basic, advanced, and specialized courses are organized. At the end of every course, the trainees take a multiple-choice test (score, 1-10) and a practical test with patients (score, 1-5). To advance to the next stage, a trainee needs a score of at least 7 on the theory test and at least 3 on the practical.

RESULTS. Three courses have been completed. The total mean scores on the multiple-choice test were 7.4 (range, 6.5-9) at the end of the first course, 7.3 (range, 6.5-8.5) at the end of the second course, and 6.2 (range, 4.0-9.5) at the end of the third course. A shortage of electricity hindered the practical test after the first and second courses. At the end of the third course, the total mean score on the practical was 3.5 (range, 1.5-5.0). Seven of 10 trainees were admitted to the second year of the sonographic training program. The mean monthly hospital earnings during the three-course period were 673,200 Tanzanian shillings.

CONCLUSION. Sonography is an affordable technology for developing countries. Training in sonography should be included in the planning of long-term projects in which multiple access and feedback are provided in the same area.

Keywords: developing countries • medical education • sonography • sustainable technology • training


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the American Roentgen Ray Society.