Purpose: In the Indonesian health-care system, nurses and midwives often serve as the primary health-care providers due to physician shortages. Seeking to address the need for medical care in resource-limited environments, some have advocated for portable equipment in the hands of health-care providers. We hypothesized that medical students are able to effectively teach point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to physicians, nurses, and midwives in rural Indonesia.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study using health-care practitioners from a clinic and accredited school for nursing and midwifery in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia. Enrolled practitioners took part in a 4-week POCUS course followed by postinstructional testing.
Results: A total of 55 health-care practitioners completed the course. This included 19 physicians, 13 nurses, and 19 midwives. Of the 55 clinicians, 43 (72%) passed the course and 12 (28%) failed.
Conclusions: Physicians, nurses, and midwives in rural Indonesia showed significant acquisition of ultrasound (US) knowledge and skills following a 4-week US course. Following training, all three groups displayed skills in practical US use during a postcourse practical examination. This is one of the first studies to assess the efficacy of medical students teaching POCUS to midwives and nurses.
Keywords: FAST; POCUS; abdomen; education; gynecology; obstetrics; ultrasonography.
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