Training Moroccan health professionals in remote areas in the use of medical devices
Continent: Africa
Duration: 2021 – 2022
Donor: RVO
Partner: Université Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santé – UM6SS, Mohammed VI University Hospital, LeQuest (lead), Maastricht University
Project DAMOGHIR investigates whether the use of immersive and interactive software of the company LeQuest can be used for medical device training in rural Morocco. This feasibility study is centered around mother and childcare in rural regions, where the lack of (adequate training in) medical devices leads to insufficient treatment.
According to the report on family health by the Ministry of Health of Morocco, the population of rural regions have poor accessibility to adequate care. People are required to travel to cities to receive adequate care, which is not always possible for those with limited means or a bad medical condition. This poor accessibility leads to big differences in medical outcomes, for example in post-natal mortality rate of mothers. This is 111,1 on 100k live births for rural areas and 44,6 for urban areas (2,5x higher).
One of the reasons for less adequate care in remote areas relates to medical devices. Medical devices are sometimes available, but personnel in rural areas are not well-trained in using them. This results in misuse, non-usage and break-down due to faulty operation or maintenance.
This problem is being solved marginally by organizing trainings (not scalable and expensive). Medical personnel needs a low-cost way of schooling themselves in daily use of medical devices to provide better care. Online lectures are insufficient, because the personnel cannot practice with the device, and reverting to external trainers is too expensive.
In this project, the innovation software developed by the company LeQuest will be further developed. The idea is that remote locations will have access to relevant medical knowledge, allowing more people to have access to medical care including the positive impact of available and new medical equipment. This innovation is scalable across remote areas and very affordable compared to face-to-face training.
The Consortium
LeQuest is a leading technology company that improves the quality of care by unlocking the potential of both medical technology and the competence of medical staff to use those devices. This organization develops online interactive simulation-based training for the use of medical devices. These e-trainings accelerate the implementation of new medical equipment, close the consumption gap, and make users quickly gain confidence, knowledge and competence within a safe environment including (re-) certifying of the medical staff.
LeQuest has opted to partner with a strong consortium. The Université Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santé – UM6SS and the Mohammed VI international university hospital (HUIM6) are local partners. Maastricht University SHE is a worldwide renowned graduate school in the field of innovation and research in medical education. Lastly, CINOP is involved as a partner in international project management and professional and vocational education.
Phase 2
With the conclusion of phase one, which revolved around the mapping of the software’s usability, it’s time for phase 2. This phase will focus on developing the offline remote capabilities of the LeQuest software, rolling it out and testing it in the area of mother and childcare. At the same time, the potential for scaling up to other healthcare specialities will be investigated, as well as the road to formal accreditation of the training courses.
