Studying the Effectiveness of Video-Assisted Education in Teaching Ugandan Mothers to Monitor Their Hospitalised...

To determine the time required for mothers to learn how to monitor their hospitalised infant using video-assisted education and to understand healthcare providers' perspectives on their role in maternal education.

This was a two-part study in a neonatal hospital unit in Uganda. Using video-assisted education, we assessed the time required for mothers to learn how to assess danger signs, weigh their baby, and track feeds. Proficiency was tested with knowledge and skills assessments. Concurrently, healthcare providers completed a survey regarding maternal engagement.

Fifty mothers participated, and 72% watched the training video only once. After viewing the video, 36% needed no additional nursing time to achieve proficiency. For mothers requiring nursing assistance, nurses spent a median time of 37 s (IQR 21-78 s). Ninety-four percent and 72% of mothers had perfect scores on the knowledge and skills assessment, respectively. Twelve healthcare providers were surveyed, and 58% reported having < 10 min to spend on maternal education. All providers cited recognition of danger signs as the most important skill for mothers to learn.

Given Uganda's healthcare provider shortage, video-assisted education may be a valuable tool to teach mothers how they can participate in their hospitalised infant's care.