Development, implementation, and associated challenges of a new HDR brachytherapy program

Developing any new radiation oncology program requires planning and analysis of the current state of the facility and its capacity to take on another program. Staff must consider a large number of factors to establish a feasible, safe, and sustainable program. We present a simple and generic outline that lays out the process for developing and implementing a new HDR brachytherapy program in any setting, but with particular emphasis on challenges associated with starting the program in a limited resource setting. The sections include feasibility of a program, starting cases, machine and equipment selection, and quality and safety.

Promoting evidence-based practices for breast cancer care through web-based collaborative learning

The Knowledge Summaries for Comprehensive Breast Cancer Control (KSBCs) are a series of 14 publications aligned with World Health Organization guidance on evidence-based breast cancer control and accepted frameworks for action. To study utilization of the KSBCs in the development of locally relevant breast cancer control policies and programs in limited resource settings, the National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center developed the Project ECHO® for KSBCs (KSBC ECHO). Project ECHO is an online model which employs case-based learning, while promoting multi-directional learning and network-building. The program was evaluated using a pre-post study design to assess if this online collaborative learning platform can be an effective model for dissemination and utilization of the KSBCs to inform breast cancer control programs and policy advocacy in limited resource settings. A total of 28 KSBC ECHO participants (57%) responded to the baseline and endpoint program evaluation surveys. Across all 28 respondents, analysis of the data indicates that knowledge increase was statistically significant overall: average knowledge gain was 0.77, 95% CI [0.44 - 1.08] and p value < 0.0001. A majority of responding team leads reported that the core ECHO components (case/didactic presentations, discussion) contributed to a great extent to strengthening their project proposal/goals. Program evaluation survey responses indicate that utilization of this online platform provided an opportunity for individual knowledge gain, multi-directional information exchange, network-building, and strengthening of the proposed breast cancer control projects based in limited resource settings.

An evaluation of the clinical features of measles virus infection for diagnosis in children within a limited resources setting

BACKGROUND

Measles is a recurrent health problem in both advanced and developed countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends anti-measles immunoglobulin M (Ig M) as the standard method of detecting the virus; however, many areas still present the inability to perform a serology test of anti-measles IgM. Therefore, a typical clinical feature is necessary to establish the diagnosis of measles. The objective of this study was to evaluate hyperpigmented rash and other clinical features as the diagnostic tools with respect to measles, especially in an outbreak setting.

METHODS

In this observational diagnostic study, the inclusion criteria were as follows: between 6 and 144 months of age, fever, maculopapular rash for 3 days or more, accompanied by a cough, or coryza, or conjunctivitis. Those with a prior history of measles vaccination (1-6 weeks) were excluded, in addition to those with histories of corticosteroid for 2 weeks or more and immunocompromised conditions. The samples were taken from Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, and the negative predictive value of such clinical features. Hyperpigmented rash was validated using Kappa and Mc Nemar tests. Anti-measles Ig M was considered as the gold standard.

RESULTS

This study gathered 82 participants. The clinical manifestations of all subjects included fever, cough, coryza, conjunctivitis, Koplik spots, and maculopapular rash (which turns into hyperpigmented rash along the course of the illness). Most maculopapular rashes turn out to be hyperpigmented (89%). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values ​​of the combination of fever, maculopapular rash, and hyperpigmented rash were found to be at 90.7, 28.6, 93.2, and 22.2%, respectively. The Mc Nemar and Kappa tests showed p values of 0.774 and 0.119, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The combination of fever, maculopapular rash, and hyperpigmented rash can be used as a screening tool regarding measles infection in an outbreak setting, which can then be confirmed by anti-measles Ig M. Cough, coryza, and Koplik's spot can be added to this combination, albeit with a slight reduction of sensitivity value.

The modified south African triage scale system for mortality prediction in resource-constrained emergency surgical centers: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The South African Triage Scale (SATS) was developed to facilitate patient triage in emergency departments (EDs) and is used by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in low-resource environments. The aim was to determine if SATS data, reason for admission, and patient age can be used to develop and validate a model predicting the in-hospital risk of death in emergency surgical centers and to compare the model's discriminative power with that of the four SATS categories alone.

METHODS

We used data from a cohort hospitalized at the Nap Kenbe Surgical Hospital in Haiti from January 2013 to June 2015. We based our analysis on a multivariate logistic regression of the probability of death. Age cutoff, reason for admission categorized into nine groups according to MSF classifications, and SATS triage category (red, orange, yellow, and green) were used as candidate parameters for the analysis of factors associated with mortality. Stepwise backward elimination was performed for the selection of risk factors with retention of predictors with P < 0.05, and bootstrapping was used for internal validation. The likelihood ratio test was used to compare the combined and restricted models. These models were also applied to data from a cohort of patients from the Kunduz Trauma Center, Afghanistan, to validate mortality prediction in an external trauma patients population.

RESULTS

A total of 7618 consecutive hospitalized patients from the Nap Kenbe Hospital were analyzed. Variables independently associated with in-hospital mortality were age > 45 and < = 65 years (odds ratio, 2.04), age > 65 years (odds ratio, 5.15) and the red (odds ratio, 65.08), orange (odds ratio, 3.5), and non-trauma (odds ratio, 3.15) categories. The combined model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.8723 and an AUROC corrected for optimism of 0.8601. The AUROC of the model run on the external data-set was 0.8340. The likelihood ratio test was highly significant in favor of the combined model for both the original and external data-sets.

CONCLUSIONS

SATS category, patient age, and reason for admission can be used to predict in-hospital mortality. This predictive model had good discriminative ability to identify ED patients at a high risk of death and performed better than the SATS alone.

Cervical cancer control in HIV-infected women: Past, present and future

Since the initial recognition of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 1981, an increased burden of cervical cancer was identified among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women. Introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) decreased risks of opportunistic infections and improved overall survival. HIV-infected women are living longer. Introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer screening and early diagnosis provide opportunities to reduce cervical cancer associated mortality. In line with 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases, increased efforts need to focus on high burden countries within sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite limitations of resources in SSA, opportunities exist to improve cancer control. This article reviews advancements in cervical cancer control in HIV-positive women.

Cervical cancer screening at a tertiary care center in Rwanda

In limited resource settings such as Rwanda, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is the primary model for cervical cancer screening. The objective of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and outcomes for women presenting for cervical cancer screening. A prospective, observational study was conducted between September 2015 and February 2016 at Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK). Women referred to the VIA clinic were enrolled and completed a semi-structured questionnaire. During the six-month study period, 150 women were enrolled and evaluated with VIA followed by colposcopy directed biopsy for VIA positive. The median age was 42 years (IQR 36-49). Only 20 (13.3%) asymptomatic women presented for screening exam, whereas 126 (84%) were symptomatic. Among symptomatic patients, more than one-third had never had a speculum exam prior to referral (n = 43). Twenty-two (14.7%) women were VIA positive, and 8 (5.3%) had lesions suspicious for cancer, while 120 (80%) were found to be VIA negative. Among women undergoing biopsy (n = 30), 11 were normal (36.7%), 5 cases showed CIN 1 (16.6%), 4 cases showed CIN 2 (13.3%), 2 cases showed CIN 3 (6.7%) and 8 were confirmed cervical cancers (26.7%). In Rwanda, VIA is the current method for cervical cancer screening. In this study, few asymptomatic patients presented for cervical cancer screening. Increasing knowledge about cervical cancer screening and expanding access are key elements to improving cervical cancer control in Rwanda.

Benefits and challenges of EMR implementations in low resource settings: a state-of-the-art review

BACKGROUND

The intent of this review is to discover the types of inquiry and range of objectives and outcomes addressed in studies of the impacts of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) implementations in limited resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

A state-of-the-art review characterized relevant publications from bibliographic databases and grey literature repositories through systematic searching, concept-mapping, relevance and quality filter optimization, methods and outcomes categorization and key article analysis.

RESULTS

From an initial population of 749 domain articles published before February 2015, 32 passed context and methods filters to merit full-text analysis. Relevant literature was classified by type (e.g., secondary, primary), design (e.g., case series, intervention), focus (e.g., processes, outcomes) and context (e.g., location, organization). A conceptual framework of EMR implementation determinants (systems, people, processes, products) was developed to represent current knowledge about the effects of EMRs in resource-constrained settings and to facilitate comparisons with studies in other contexts.

DISCUSSION

This review provides an overall impression of the types and content of health informatics articles about EMR implementations in sub-Saharan Africa. Little is known about the unique effects of EMR efforts in slum settings. The available reports emphasize the complexity and impact of social considerations, outweighing product and system limitations. Summative guides and implementation toolkits were not found but could help EMR implementers.

CONCLUSION

The future of EMR implementation in sub-Saharan Africa is promising. This review reveals various examples and gaps in understanding how EMR implementations unfold in resource-constrained settings; and opportunities for new inquiry about how to improve deployments in those contexts.