Evaluation of a Novel Wireless Transmission System for Trauma Ultrasound Examinations From Moving Ambulances.

Objective: To determine if physicians trained in ultrasound interpretation perceive a difference in image quality and usefulness between Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography ultrasound examinations performed at bedside in a hospital vs. by emergency medical technicians minimally trained in medical ultrasound on a moving ambulance and transmitted to the hospital via a novel wireless system. In particular, we sought to demonstrate that useful images could be obtained from patients in less than optimal imaging conditions; that is, while they were in transport. Methods: Emergency medical technicians performed the examinations during transport of blunt trauma patients. Upon patient arrival at the hospital, a bedside Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography examination was performed by a physician. Both examinations were recorded and later reviewed by physicians trained in ultrasound interpretation. Results: Data were collected on 20 blunt trauma patients over a period of 13 mo. Twenty ultrasound-trained physicians blindly compared transmitted vs. bedside images using 11 Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction scales. Four paired samples t-tests were conducted to assess mean differences between ratings for ambulatory and base images. Conclusion: Although there is a slight tendency for the average rating across all subjects and raters to be slightly higher in the base than in the ambulatory condition, none of these differences are statistically significant. These results suggest that the quality of the ambulatory images was viewed as essentially as good as the quality of the base images.

Strongest Families™ Managing Our Mood (MOM): a randomized controlled trial of a distance intervention for women with postpartum depression.

The present study investigated whether a distance-delivered intervention could significantly decrease mild to moderate postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers as compared to usual care. Mothers with PPD (n = 62) were randomly assigned to the intervention or standard community care. Participants receiving the intervention followed a 12-session cognitive behavioural informed handbook supplemented with telephone-based coaching support. Diagnostic status and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months postrandomization. Odds ratios indicated that intervention group participants were 1.5 times as likely to experience diagnostic remission at 3 months (mid-intervention) (p = 0.742), 1.54 times as likely at 6 months (p = 0.696) and 12.5 times as likely at 12 months (p = 0.009). Intervention 'dosage' significantly moderated this effect; for every additional coaching session completed, individuals had a 1.4 times greater chance of showing improvement at 3 and 6 months. Mothers reported high satisfaction with the intervention. Findings suggest positive outcomes at each time point and superior outcomes to the control condition at the long-term follow-up. Caution in interpreting these results is warranted due to small sample size and incomplete data; however, they support further investigation into the use of distance interventions as an accessible and effective solution for women with PPD.