Health professionals’ perspectives on the role of obstetric ultrasonography in maternity care in rural eastern Ethiopia: a qualitative descriptive study

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Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess healthcare providers’ perspectives on maternity care following the introduction of ultrasound services in the area.

Design

The qualitative descriptive study.

Study setting

This study was carried out in health centres under Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) pregnancy surveillance catchment areas in Kersa, Haramaya and Harar districts in eastern Ethiopia.

Participants

The study participants were 14 midwives working in the maternity units and 14 health centre managers in the respective health facilities. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for in-depth interviews using a semistructured interview guide. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

We identified one overarching theme "improved perinatal care" and six subthemes. Based on the accounts of the participants, the introduction of ultrasound services has led to a remarkable transformation in the overall provision of maternity care at health centres. The participants have reported a substantial rise in the utilisation of antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services. The availability of ultrasound has enabled midwives to deliver comprehensive maternity care.

Conclusion

Ultrasound service utilisation at health centres improves maternity care. The utilisation of ultrasound in healthcare enables providers to closely monitor the growth and development of the fetus, identify potential complications or abnormalities and administer timely interventions. This integration of ultrasound technology translates into enhanced prenatal care, early detection of issues and prompt management, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for both the mother and the baby.

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Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization

Benjamin Saunders, Julius Sim, Tom Kingstone … (2017)

Saturation has attained widespread acceptance as a methodological principle in qualitative research. It is commonly taken to indicate that, on the basis of the data that have been collected or analysed hitherto, further data collection and/or analysis are unnecessary. However, there appears to be uncertainty as to how saturation should be conceptualized, and inconsistencies in its use. In this paper, we look to clarify the nature, purposes and uses of saturation, and in doing so add to theoretical debate on the role of saturation across different methodologies. We identify four distinct approaches to saturation, which differ in terms of the extent to which an inductive or a deductive logic is adopted, and the relative emphasis on data collection, data analysis, and theorizing. We explore the purposes saturation might serve in relation to these different approaches, and the implications for how and when saturation will be sought. In examining these issues, we highlight the uncertain logic underlying saturation—as essentially a predictive statement about the unobserved based on the observed, a judgement that, we argue, results in equivocation, and may in part explain the confusion surrounding its use. We conclude that saturation should be operationalized in a way that is consistent with the research question(s), and the theoretical position and analytic framework adopted, but also that there should be some limit to its scope, so as not to risk saturation losing its coherence and potency if its conceptualization and uses are stretched too widely.

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Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE Guide No. 131

Michelle Kiger, Lara Varpio (2020)

Thematic analysis is a widely used, yet often misunderstood, method of qualitative data analysis. It is a useful and accessible tool for qualitative researchers, but confusion regarding the method's philosophical underpinnings and imprecision in how it has been described have complicated its use and acceptance among researchers. In this Guide, we outline what thematic analysis is, positioning it in relation to other methods of qualitative analysis, and describe when it is appropriate to use the method under a variety of epistemological frameworks. We also provide a detailed definition of a theme, as this term is often misapplied. Next, we describe the most commonly used six-step framework for conducting thematic analysis, illustrating each step using examples from our own research. Finally, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of this method and alert researchers to pitfalls to avoid when using thematic analysis. We aim to highlight thematic analysis as a powerful and flexible method of qualitative analysis and to empower researchers at all levels of experience to conduct thematic analysis in rigorous and thoughtful way.

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A Low-Cost Ultrasound Program Leads to Increased Antenatal Clinic Visits and Attended Deliveries at a Health Care Clinic in Rural Uganda

Andrew B. Ross, Kristen K DeStigter, Matthew Rielly … (2013)

Background In June of 2010, an antenatal ultrasound program to perform basic screening for high-risk pregnancies was introduced at a community health care center in rural Uganda. Whether the addition of ultrasound scanning to antenatal visits at the health center would encourage or discourage potential patients was unknown. Our study sought to evaluate trends in the numbers of antenatal visits and deliveries at the clinic, pre- and post-introduction of antenatal ultrasound to determine what effect the presence of ultrasound at the clinic had on these metrics. Methods and Findings Records at Nawanyago clinic were reviewed to obtain the number of antenatal visits and deliveries for the 42 months preceding the introduction of ultrasound and the 23 months following. The monthly mean deliveries and antenatal visits by category (first visit through fourth return visit) were compared pre- and post- ultrasound using a Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA. Following the introduction of ultrasound, significant increases were seen in the number of mean monthly deliveries and antenatal visits. The mean number of monthly deliveries at the clinic increased by 17.0 (13.3–20.6, 95% CI) from a pre-ultrasound average of 28.4 to a post-ultrasound monthly average of 45.4. The number of deliveries at a comparison clinic remained flat over this same time period. The monthly mean number of antenatal visits increased by 97.4 (83.3–111.5, 95% CI) from a baseline monthly average of 133.5 to a post-ultrasound monthly mean of 231.0, with increases seen in all categories of antenatal visits. Conclusions The availability of a low-cost antenatal ultrasound program may assist progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 by encouraging women in a rural environment to come to a health care facility for skilled antenatal care and delivery assistance instead of utilizing more traditional methods.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMJ Open

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMJ Open

Journal ID (hwp): bmjopen

Journal ID (publisher-id): bmjopen

Title: BMJ Open

Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group (BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR )

ISSN (Electronic): 2044-6055

Publication date Collection: 2024

Publication date (Electronic): 23 April 2024

Volume: 14

Issue: 4

Electronic Location Identifier: e075263

Affiliations

[1 ] departmentSchool of Nursing , Ringgold_334285Haramaya University, College of Health and Medical Sciences , Haramaya, Ethiopia

[2 ] departmentChild Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance , Ringgold_334285Haramaya University College of Health and Medical Sciences , Haramaya, Ethiopia

Author notes

[Correspondence to ] Dr Maleda Tefera; maledaifa.21@ 123456gmail.com

Author information

Maleda Tefera http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3014-0325

Haymanot Mezmur http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7455-1073

Nega Assefa http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0341-2329

Article

Publisher ID: bmjopen-2023-075263

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075263

PMC ID: 11043749

PubMed ID: 38658007

SO-VID: 49774427-99bd-4d98-bf10-469a76b058e6

License:

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

History

Date received : 02 May 2023

Date accepted : 28 March 2024

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Medicine

Keywords: obstetrics,maternal medicine,patient satisfaction,primary health care

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Medicine

Keywords: obstetrics, maternal medicine, patient satisfaction, primary health care

Health professionals’ perspectives on the role of obstetric ultrasonography in maternity care in rural eastern Ethiopia: a qualitative descriptive study

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Abstract

Objective

Design

Study setting

Participants

Results

Conclusion

Related collections

Chinese Journal of General Practice

Most cited references 13

Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization

Thematic analysis of qualitative data: AMEE Guide No. 131

A Low-Cost Ultrasound Program Leads to Increased Antenatal Clinic Visits and Attended Deliveries at a Health Care Clinic in Rural Uganda

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