Feasibility and acceptability of point-of-care ultrasound delivered by midwives during routine antenatal care in Malawi: a prospective implementation science study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of integrating point-of-care ultrasound scan (POCUS) by midwives into routine antenatal care (ANC) services.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational, multiphase, implementation science study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcomes included the proportion of midwives who completed training and competency checks for basic obstetric scanning using a POCUS device; the feasibility and acceptability of midwife-delivered POCUS from the perspectives of midwives and pregnant women captured on structured questionnaires; and the proportion of scans meeting predefined quality standards. Secondary outcomes included responses to acceptability-related questionnaires administered to midwives and pregnant women.

SETTING

Rural, periurban and urban health centres in Blantyre District, Malawi.

PARTICIPANTS

Pregnant women attending ANC and midwives providing care at participating health facilities.

RESULTS

Obstetric registrars trained and mentored 45 midwives, and 42 (93%) completed the training. Most midwives (95%, n=40) found providing POCUS during ANC was feasible and acceptable. Overall, device durability was rated positively. Of the 1499 pregnant women who received a scan, 99% (n=1484) reported that receiving an ultrasound from a midwife during ANC was acceptable. Independent assessors determined that over 70% of the subsample of reviewed scans met minimum quality standards.

CONCLUSIONS

Midwife-delivered POCUS is feasible and highly acceptable in diverse antenatal settings in Malawi. These findings support task-sharing models as a means of expanding access to this essential ANC service, particularly in low-resource settings.