NoviGuide Project:
Evaluating Clinical Decision Support Software in Rural Uganda.
Study Period: September 2020 – November 2023
The NoviGuide project was funded by the University of California San Francisco Preterm Birth Initiative (Grant number: OPP1107312) to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using midwife trainers and NoviGuide in the rollout of neonatal oxygen saturation monitoring in eastern Uganda. The project was implemented by Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC) in collaboration with Global Strategies, the creators of NoviGuide. NoviGuide is a tablet-based, clinical decision support tool designed for frontline health care professionals. NoviGuide transforms neonatal care guidelines into step-by-step guidance.
One of the leading causes of death among preterm infants is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In Low and Middle Income countries, the main treatment for RDS is oxygen delivered through continuous positive airway pressure or nasal prongs. Unfortunately, oxygen treatment is often implemented without saturation monitoring. Yet over-administration of oxygen therapy is dangerous and can lead to significant long-term morbidity. In addition, the implementation of pulse oximeters is complicated by individual, social and organizational factors.
In this project, we evaluated the use of midwife Trainers and NoviGuide in the implementation of neonatal oxygen saturation monitoring at four rural health facilities in eastern Uganda. First, we trained two midwives as NoviGuide Trainers. These Trainers inturn trained all the nurses and midwives on how to use NoviGuide and pulse oximeters during their care of newborns needing oxygen therapy.
Objectives
- To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using midwives as NoviGuide Trainers in the rollout of the NoviGuide to new clinical sites.
- To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using NoviGuide to facilitate the roll out of oxygen saturation monitoring in rural hospitals in eastern Uganda.
- To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using a digital tutorial to train newly recruited midwives on the initial set-up of NoviGuide.
- To evaluate patterns of NoviGuide use and factors that influence the use of NoviGuide by Ugandan midwives caring for newborns.
Study Site: 4 sites – Tororo General Hospital, Mulanda, Nagongera and Mukujju Health Center IVs.
Collaborators: IDRC and Global Strategies.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mary K. Muhindo.
Study Sponsor: University of California San Francisco Preterm Birth Initiative.
