Adapting collaborative radiological practice to low-resource environments
Proceedings of the ACM 2012 conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Open data kit sensors: mobile data collection with wired and wireless sensors
Proceedings of the 2nd ACM Symposium on Computing for Development
The midwife's assistant: designing integrated learning tools to scaffold ultrasound practice
Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development
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Ultrasound imaging is an effective tool for identifying maternal mortality risk factors. Unfortunately, ultrasound is nearly absent in many rural healthcare facilities in developing regions due to the high costs of both equipment and required training. To leverage existing healthcare systems commonly found in these contexts, we have focused our efforts on increasing the diagnostic capabilities of midwives -- often central medical figures in rural and low-income communities. We have designed and built a low-cost portable ultrasound device consisting of a USB ultrasound probe and a touchscreen netbook for a total cost of around USD3500. Compared to currently available ultrasound devices, we simplified the user interface while maintaining functionality to allow midwives to detect three common obstetrical conditions: placenta previa, multiple gestations, and breech presentation. To evaluate our solution, we tested the accuracy of ultrasound measurements, image quality, and whether midwives could use ultrasound. Testing performed by nine clinicians indicated our device would be appropriate for identifying the three conditions. Our modular design approach allows for easy modification, and the device is designed to utilize existing local healthcare resources in order to create a sustainable solution that does not depend on continuous foreign assistance.