Development of a Mobile Application for HBB Prompt Study (HBB-Prompt)

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Neonatal Death; Birth Asphyxia

Treatments: Behavioral: Low-Dose High Frequency training; Behavioral: HBB Prompt

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03577054

MUST 16/09-17

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study applies an iterative user-centred design approach involving frontline birth attendants to create a mobile application ("HBB Prompt") to improve skills retention after initial newborn stabilization training through the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program. HBB Prompt will then be piloted at one site after HBB training and skills retention will be compared with a control site without HBB Prompt after HBB training.

Full description

Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) is a newborn stabilization course that has been shown to reduce neonatal mortality by up to 47%. Such mortality impact is however not sustained due to rapid skills deterioration.

The investigators propose to improve sustainability of HBB's impact by increasing skills retention with an innovative mobile application called HBB Prompt. HBB Prompt will be an interactive tool that guides frontline providers through the steps needed to save newborn babies at birth. HBB Prompt will facilitate individual and group training in health facilities using the Low Dose High Frequency model (LDHF) for resuscitation skills retention.

The investigators will robustly develop HBB Prompt by integrating human factors and user-centered design approaches. The investigators will engage end-users and HBB Master Trainers to iteratively collect feedback to develop HBB Prompt for both individual and small group resuscitation practice. The iterative approach will mitigate the common scenario of mobile health (mHealth) solutions unable to achieve sustained success at scale due to lack of comprehensive input from frontline users.

The investigators will pilot the app at a single centre and compare it to a control site for HBB skills retention at different time points after initial HBB training.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Frontline birth attendants involved in the delivery or care of babies in the maternity ward, theater or pediatric wards with a possibility of involvement in newborn resuscitation.

Exclusion criteria

• Health workers providing care in other wards other than maternity and pediatrics.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

HBB Prompt

Experimental group

Description:

The investigators will train frontline health providers in Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) 2.0 and Essential Care for Every Baby (ECEB). Providers will undergo ECEB training in addition to HBB as these training programs are recommended by the Uganda Ministry of Health to be offered together. Providers at this hospital will have access to the most updated version of HBB Prompt (beta) after HBB training. Participants in will be asked to achieve a minimum practice target of once per day (low-dose high frequency training). The recommended frequency to use the app will be once per shift.

Treatment:

Behavioral: HBB Prompt

Behavioral: Low-Dose High Frequency training

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The investigators will train frontline health providers in Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) 2.0 and Essential Care for Every Baby (ECEB). Providers will undergo ECEB training in addition to HBB as these training programs are recommended by the Uganda Ministry of Health to be offered together. The control group will not have exposure to the HBB Prompt app post training. Participants in will be asked to achieve a minimum practice target of once per day (low-dose high frequency training).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Low-Dose High Frequency training