Acceptability, usability and efficacy of an automatic respiratory monitor in determining fast breathing: A pilot study in a tribal tea garden in India

BACKGROUND: Childhood pneumonia is one of the leading causes of mortality among under-five children. It is responsible for 15% of all deaths of children U5, killing 808,694 children in 2017 (1). Traditional visual inspection and manual count method is used to detect and classify fast-breathing, a key indicator of Pneumonia. In response to UNICEF’s call for a reliable diagnostic tool, Philips was the first to respond with the Children’s Automatic Respiratory Monitor for measuring fast breathing objectively. AIM: UNICEF and Philips Foundation initiated a field study to test the acceptability, usability and efficacy of the Automatic Respiratory Monitor in Determining Fast Breathing in low resource setting environments. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Philips Foundation partnered up with the Directorate of Medical Education in West Bengal, India to conduct the field study amongst community healthcare workers and beneficiaries in a rural district of West Bengal. In collaboration with North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, a community-based study was conducted in a tribal tea garden of Naxalbari block. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Acceptability and usability of the device was assessed through structtured interviews and dialogues with community health workers (CHWs), caregivers and local healthcare practitioners. Efficacy of the device was represented by the inter-rater agreement between the traditional visual inspection and manual count method and the device reading. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: A descriptive community based mixed method study was conducted. Satisfaction among community healthcare workers (CHWs) and beneficiaries was found to be promising across all study parameters. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The paper captures the study methods, statistical analysis of the data, the conclusions, areas of further research and recommends community-wide use of the device in objectively measuring fast breathing among children under the age of five years.