Midwife ‐Led Ultrasound Scanning to Date Pregnancy in Malawi: Development of a Novel Training Program

We describe the development and piloting of a bespoke course to teach midwives 3 fundamental components of early antenatal ultrasound scanning: (1) to identify the number of fetuses, (2) to confirm fetal viability, and (3) to determine gestational age. Having established that 5 days is insufficient, we propose that the minimum duration required to train ultrasound-naive midwives to competency is 10 days. Our completed program therefore consists of one and one-half days of didactic teaching, followed by 8 and one-half days of supervised hands-on practical training in which trainees are assessed on their skills. This package has subsequently been successfully implemented across 6 sites in Malawi, where 28 midwives have achieved competency. By describing the processes involved in our cross-continental collaboration, we explain how unexpected challenges helped shape and improve our program, demonstrating the value of preimplementation piloting and a pragmatic and adaptive approach.

Source: Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health - December 17, 2022 Category: Midwifery Authors: Alexandra Viner, Gladys Membe ‐Gadama, Sonia Whyte, Doris Kayambo, Martha Masamba, Caroline J. Hollins Martin, Brian Magowan, Rebecca M. Reynolds, Sarah J Stock, Bridget Freyne, Luis Gadama Tags: Innovations from the Field Source Type: research