title: Deploying portable ultrasonography with remote assistance for isolated physicians in Africa: lessons from a pilot study in Mali.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Demonstrate the feasibility of deploying portable ultrasonography with remote assistance to improve the diagnostic capabilities of isolated physicians in Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The approach is based on the training of general practitioners for the use of ultrasonography, and the remote support by radiologists using dedicated tools for image transfer over low-bandwidth internet connections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our early results in a pilot project in Mali show that this approach is feasible, and that isolated physicians can productively use ultrasonography to improve diagnosis and management decisions such as the need for a medical evacuation towards a reference hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These encouraging early results must be confirmed by larger-scale studies, in order to better understand the organizational requirements and demonstrate outcomes and return on investments for such telemedicine services. This scale-up project will start in 2010 in collaboration with the International Development Research Center of Canada.
authors.affiliation: Department Radiology and Medical informatics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. cheick-oumar.bagayoko@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Cheick Oumar
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Bagayoko
authors.forename: Mahamoudane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niang
authors.forename: Seydou T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Traoré
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bediang
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Naef
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geissbuhler
mesh_terms: D008302:Mali; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods; D019035:Rural Health Services; D019112:Teleradiology / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*