1. Aftermath of a clinical trial: evaluating the sustainability of a medical device intervention in Ghana
- Author
-
Rachel T Moresky, Marilyn C. Morris, Joshua C. Brooks, Patrick T. Wilson, and Easmon Otupiri
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Medical device ,Inservice Training ,Study Personnel ,medicine.medical_treatment ,education ,Ghana ,law.invention ,Technical support ,Education, Nursing, Continuing ,Randomized controlled trial ,Respiratory Rate ,law ,Intervention (counseling) ,Neonatal Nursing ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Medicine ,Humans ,Continuous positive airway pressure ,Intensive care medicine ,Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ,Respiratory distress ,Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ,business.industry ,Middle Aged ,Clinical trial ,Infectious Diseases ,Treatment Outcome ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Physical therapy ,Female ,Clinical Competence ,Educational Measurement ,business ,Infant, Premature ,Follow-Up Studies ,Program Evaluation - Abstract
A randomized controlled trial recently demonstrated that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effectively decreases respiratory rate in children presenting to Ghanaian district hospitals with respiratory distress. A follow-up study 16 months later evaluated the extent to which the skills and equipment necessary for CPAP use have been maintained. Seven of eight CPAP machines were functional, but five of eight oxygen concentrators and three of four electric generators were non-functional. Nurses trained by US study personnel (first-generation) and nurses trained by Ghanaian nurses after the study (second-generation) were evaluated on CPAP knowledge and skills. Twenty-eight nurses participated in the study, 9 first-generation and 19 second-generation. First-generation trainees scored significantly higher than second-generation trainees on both skills and knowledge assessments (p = 0.003). Appropriate technical support and training must be ensured to address equipment maintenance. Protocolization of the training program, in conjunction with skills and knowledge assessment, may improve acquisition and retention among second- and future-generation trainees.
- Published
- 2013