Deploying portable ultrasonography with remote assistance for isolated physicians in Africa: lessons from a pilot study in Mali.

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. Conclusion : 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.