Building an international learning network for point-of-care ultrasound in Mwanza region, Tanzania

This year we have started the project “Building an international learning network for point-of-care ultrasound in Mwanza region, Tanzania”. This is a collaboration between the Radboudumc of Nijmegen, Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, Sekou Toure Regional Referral hospital in Mwanza and the District Hospital of Sengerema. It builds on the rapidly advancing diagnostic techniques in bedside ultrasound (point of care ultrasound or POCUS) and aims to improve the clinical decision making of local health professionals.

We will focus on training local teachers and building a platform for exchange of ultrasound images to facilitate the continuous professional education of health care workers in Tanzania and the Netherlands.
Through qualitative research we hope to find out what the attitudes and needs of local health workers are on POCUS and workplace learning. Then we will use design-based research to develop a teaching module for POCUS training. Based on the qualitative research and an analysis of existing learning materials we will design a training module for POCUS in the local setting. We aim to train frontline clinicians, who work in the emergency department of the hospitals where quick diagnostics and clinical decision making is essential.

We aim to develop a learning network that will have continuous impact on local health workers, encouraging continuous professional development, bilateral learning opportunities and collaboration between students and teachers. Gaining knowledge on how to build such an international learning network and POCUS educational training modules will help future teaching programmes on how to overcome existing barriers and make a sustainable impact.