Evaluation of a Smartphone Application to Reduce Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Ethiopia

Abstract Hypothesis A safe delivery smartphone application distributed to health workers in Ethiopia will decrease perinatal mortality and the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage

A safe delivery smartphone application distributed to health workers in Ethiopia will increase health workers knowledge and skills in intra-partum management of active management of third stage labour 2) treatment of post-partum haemorrhage 3) manual removal of placenta and 4) neonatal resuscitation

Intervention A safe delivery smartphone application with animated videos to improve clinical management during delivery will be introduced in the intervention clusters

Design Cluster randomized controlled trial with health facilities as the unit of randomization

Area Nole Kaba, Haru, Homa, Genji and Gimbie districts in Ethiopia

Population Pregnant women and their newborns delivered in a randomized health facility. For secondary outcomes health workers at randomized health facilities.

Sample size 77 health facilities with minimum 2 health workers per facility and 30 deliveries per health worker

Duration Pregnant women will be enrolled at delivery and followed to 7 days postpartum

Outcomes Primary outcomes are perinatal mortality and postpartum haemorrhage. Secondary outcomes are health workers knowledge and skills

Study time Data collection expected from September 2013 to September 2014