Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for Antenatal Care in Rural Caribbean Settings: A Literature-Informed Implementation Blueprint for Grenada

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for Antenatal Care in Rural Caribbean Settings: A Literature-Informed Implementation Blueprint for Grenada

Christian A. Palaguachi , Charlotte Taylor-Drigo
St. George’s University, Jersey City, United States

Background:
Rural maternal care across the Caribbean faces critical challenges in diagnostic access, often leading to delayed triage and preventable complications. While point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has transformed clinical decision-making in high-resource settings, its integration into frontline maternal care remains limited. This project pilots a student-led, transdisciplinary implementation of midwife-driven POCUS in Grenada to evaluate feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and health system impact.

Methods:
Launching in Spring 2025, this IRB project is conducted in collaboration with the Grenadian Ministry of Health, Butterfly Network, and St. George’s University. Midwives will be trained in obstetric POCUS applications—including fetal position, placental location, and amniotic fluid assessment—using a co-designed curriculum. Evaluation includes pre/post training assessments of diagnostic skill and confidence, micro-costing analysis of equipment and transport offset, and qualitative feedback from providers and ministry stakeholders.

Expected Outcomes:
By the time of presentation, we anticipate reporting data from 6+ weeks of implementation across three rural health centers. Outcome measures will include number of scans performed, changes in provider confidence and scan accuracy, transport referrals avoided, and projected cost-effectiveness metrics. Stakeholder interviews will inform policy alignment and scalability.

Conclusion:
This project introduces a replicable model for strengthening diagnostic capacity in maternal care by equipping midwives with portable imaging and integrating training into existing health systems. By leading with implementation science, cost modeling, and community co-design. This project seeks to contribute a new, scalable model for equity-driven system reform in low-resource settings—driven by frontline workers and early-career leadership.

Keywords: Point-of-Care Ultrasound, Health Systems Strengthening, Workforce Development, Midwifery, Maternal Health, Global Surgery, Global Healthcare, Implementation Science, Cost-Effectiveness, Task Shifting