European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OBSTETRIC ULTRASOUND PILOT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AT THE HEALTH CENTER LEVEL AND ITS IMPACT ON MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES UPTAKE IN THE SOMALI REGION, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abdi Ahmed*, Muhumed Mohamed, Muse Ibrahim and Mahamud Abdi

ABSTRACT

The use of obstetric ultrasound imaging for pregnant women receiving prenatal care has become popular in many developing countries around the world in the past few decades. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the competencies, effectiveness, and impacts of an obstetric ultrasound pilot program implemented at the health center level on maternal health services in the Somali region. A descriptive study using a retrospective medical record review was conducted at 22 health centers in the Somali region. The participants in the study were 329 pregnant women and 22 midlevel service providers who had undergone obstetric ultrasound training and worked at the studied health centers. The results of this study indicate that out of the 87 ultrasound scans performed by the evaluated service providers under direct observation by obstetricians, 64 (73.6%) were correctly scanned, and the scan findings were correctly interpreted. The overall average service provider competency level was 73.6%. The ultrasound skills that service providers failed the most on the OSCE were IUFG restriction identification skills (64 out of 87), fetal weight estimation (64 out of 87), GA estimation (65 out of 87), amniotic fluid index (AFI) assessment (74 out of 87), and accurate imaging of placental locations (78 out of 87). This study also demonstrated that the introduction of obstetric ultrasound has changed how service providers made clinical decisions by 55.1%. The health centers in the Siti zone experienced the greatest change in clinical decision-making (CDM) skills (76.9%), followed by the health centers in the Shabele zone (59.1%). The lowest change in CDM was found in Korahay zone health facilities (41.9%). This study concluded that service providers without prior ultrasound expertise demonstrated proficiency in ultrasound usage and performed effectively in obstetric applications after only ten days of training on obstetric ultrasound followed by online mentorship. Implementing ultrasound intervention improved CDM abilities and service utilization rates for maternal health services.

Keywords: Routine ANC Ultrasound, Obstetric Ultrasound, Ultrasound, and Somali regional state.