Field hospitals’ diagnostic radiology standards in low-resource settings

Abstract

Objective: To review the current standards being followed for diagnostic radiology at low-resource settings.Design: A systematic review was conducted.Setting: Low-resource field hospitals were reviewed.Patients and participants: All patients who were diagnosed using imaging in field hospitals were included in this review. Interventions: Only standard care diagnostic imaging was reviewed.Results: Scanty evidence on the standard quality control for mobile health unit (MHU) in low-resource settings is observed. The lack of evidence makes it inconclusive to decide if suboptimal quality of care is being provided to patients at the MHUs or if the quality is optimal. Multiple international societies such as the Radiological Society of North America and European Society of Radiology do provide extensive guidelines and algorithms for radiologists under normal conditions in the hospital. However, no such guidelines were found for MHUs. The most significant contributions that have been done in the guidance and quality control of the MHUs have been done by the World Health Organization with their emergency medical team guidelines and publications.Conclusions: MHUs are critical interventions introduced to mitigate crises and manage health campaigns. Diagnostic imaging also plays a pivotal role in ensuring successful patient management in the MHUs. No international or local diagnostic imaging standard for quality control was found in the evidence. Investigations to access the feasibility of different quality control standards in the MHUs are warranted.

Reimagining Radiology: A Comprehensive Overview of Reviews at the Intersection of Mobile and Domiciliary Radiology over the Last Five Years

“…Of the 21 selected review studies [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], a total of 14 studies specifically focused on the themes of the review [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 31 ], while the remaining [ 11 , 12 , 19 , 22 , 25 , 29 , 30 ] had a focus on different topics.…”

“…Dinar et al [ 20 ] focus on diagnostic radiology standards in low-resource settings, conducting a systematic review of the quality control for mobile health units (MHUs). The study notes a lack of evidence on standard quality control for MHUs and emphasizes the critical role of diagnostic imaging in ensuring successful patient management in crisis situations.…”

“…The analyzed reviews cover a diverse range of topics related to mobile/domiciliary radiology, including the use of AR in anatomy education, [ 21 ] domiciliary radiology with mobile X-ray equipment [ 23 ], advancements in ultrasound imaging [ 24 ], quality improvement interventions [ 26 ], the integration of Internet-based technology, mobile diagnostic imaging apps, and the development of a mobile tool for workflow optimization in academic radiology departments [ 27 , 28 , 31 ]. Furthermore, interesting perspectives are detected, such as musculoskeletal ultrasonography education with radiology training [ 13 ], the development and integration of innovative mobile devices in medicine [ 14 , 20 ], AI integration in pediatric radiology [ 16 ], the development and use of mobile mammography units in breast cancer screening [ 17 ], applications in simulation training [ 18 ], the development of models (including standards and quality control) in low resource settings [ 20 ], and integration in telemedicine models [ 15 ]. An important boost in all areas was given by the COVID-19 epidemic, such as in the integration with telemedicine [ 15 ].…”

“…Dinar et al [ 20 ] focus on diagnostic radiology standards in low-resource settings, emphasizing the critical role of diagnostic imaging in crisis situations. The lack of evidence on standard quality control for mobile health units (MHUs) calls for investigations to assess the feasibility of different quality control standards in MHUs.…”

“…Amidst this vast landscape, intriguing perspectives surface, demanding focused attention on opportunities, limitations, and the identification of areas warrant a more comprehensive investigation. Noteworthy findings include the profound impact of musculoskeletal ultrasonography education on radiology training [ 13 ], the dynamic evolution of innovative mobile devices in medicine [ 14 , 20 ], the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pediatric settings [ 16 ], the pioneering development and utilization of mobile mammography units for breast cancer screening [ 17 ], the revolutionary applications in simulation training [ 18 ], the imperative need for model development (including standards and quality control) in resource-limited settings [ 20 ], and the integration of these technologies into evolving telemedicine models [ 15 ].…”