Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Aug 2015
ReviewEvidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review.
Given the large-scale adoption and deployment of mobile phones by health services and frontline health workers (FHW), we aimed to review and synthesise the evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of mobile-based services for healthcare delivery. ⋯ Use of mHealth strategies by FHWs might offer some promising approaches to improving healthcare delivery; however, the evidence on the effectiveness of such strategies on healthcare outcomes is insufficient.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Aug 2015
Comparative StudyDifferences in malaria care seeking and dispensing outcomes for adults and children attending drug vendors in Nasarawa, Nigeria.
To characterise the differences in care seeking behaviour and dispensing outcomes between adults and children purchasing drugs for malaria at retail shops in Nigeria. ⋯ Children with suspected malaria tend to receive better care at drug retailers than adults. The degree of overtreatment and prevalence of dispensing non-recommended antimalarials emphasise the need for routine diagnosis before treatment to properly treat both malaria and non-malaria illnesses.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Aug 2015
Screening of patients with diabetes mellitus for tuberculosis in community health settings in China.
To assess the feasibility and results of screening of patients with DM for TB in routine community health services in China. ⋯ This pilot project shows it is feasible to carry out TB screening among patients with DM in community settings, but further work is needed to better characterise patients with DM at higher risk of TB. This may require a more targeted approach focused on high-risk groups such as those with untreated DM or poorly controlled hyperglycaemia.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Aug 2015
Combining malaria control with house electrification: adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems, Rusinga Island, western Kenya.
To investigate community adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems (SMoTS) after 3- to 10-week use. ⋯ Electricity-related incentives played a greater role in encouraging adherence to recommended behaviours for proper deployment of SMoTS than the potential health benefits in the early stages of the intervention. Although energy-related financial incentives may play a role, they are insufficient to ensure adherence to health advice, even in the short term. Ongoing community engagement and research monitors and addresses adherence to recommended behaviours including continuation of current malaria control strategies.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Aug 2015
Point-of-care ultrasound education for non-physician clinicians in a resource-limited emergency department.
To describe the outcomes and curriculum components of an educational programme to train non-physician clinicians working in a rural, Ugandan emergency department in the use of POC ultrasound. ⋯ We describe a novel curriculum for point-of-care ultrasound education of non-physician emergency practitioners in a resource-limited setting. These non-physician clinicians integrated ultrasound into clinical practice and utilised this imaging modality more frequently than traditional radiology department imaging with a large proportion of positive findings.