Non-Expert Acquisition & Remote Expert Review of Screening Echocardiography Images From Child Health & AnteNatal Clinics

Launched by MENZIES SCHOOL OF HEALTH RESEARCH · Aug 12, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The NEARER SCAN study is designed to improve the way we detect Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in children and pregnant women, especially in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia and in Timor-Leste. This research aims to make it easier for these groups to access high-quality heart health care. By using new technologies, the study hopes to speed up the diagnosis of RHD outside of traditional hospital settings, which can lead to better health outcomes for those affected.

To participate in this trial, children aged 5 to 20 years and pregnant women at high risk for RHD can join if they live in the selected communities. In Australia, high-risk pregnant women are those from areas where RHD is more common. While women and children with known heart conditions are welcome to participate, those who cannot give consent due to physical or mental challenges will be excluded. Participants can expect to contribute to important health research that could improve care for RHD in their communities, and they will work alongside local leaders and health professionals throughout the process.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria in Australia:
• • Any child between the age of 5 - 20 years old living in the participating community
• • Pregnant women at high risk for RHD undergoing antenatal appointments or a hospital admission will be invited to participate. High risk for RHD will be defined as being from an area where RHD all-age prevalence is \>1/1000 RHD or acute rheumatic fever incidence \>30/100,000 per year in 5-14-year-olds. For practical purposes, this means Aboriginal women living in urban, rural or remote communities in northern Australia, or immigrants from high-risk settings.
• Inclusion criteria for Timor-Leste:
• • Any child between the age of 5-20 years old and any pregnant woman.
• Exclusion criteria for Australia and Timor-Leste:
• • Women who are unable to consent due to physical, mental, or intellectual disability will be excluded. Women and children with known existing cardiac disease will NOT be excluded since evaluation of severity and change in severity during pregnancy will be tracked, and data will inform the calculation of prevalence.