Assessing the accuracy and efficiency of an electronic platform for managing childhood illnesses in rural China: A cluster randomized controlled trial.
PLoS OneSep 15, 2026 (epub)
Puhong Zhang, Yang Zhao, Jie Shang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated an electronic platform for managing childhood illnesses among community health workers (CHWs) in rural western China. The intervention group demonstrated a significantly higher rate of correct disease classification (64.1% vs. 39.4%, P = .056) compared to the control group, indicating the potential effectiveness of the eIMCI platform in improving IMCI practices.
Key findings
- The intervention group achieved a correct classification rate of 64.1% compared to 39.4% in the control group.
- Multivariable regression analysis showed a relative risk of 2.1 for correct classification in the intervention group.
- Online training reduced time and costs by approximately 80%.
Why it matters
Improving the accuracy of disease classification by CHWs can enhance the management of childhood illnesses, particularly in resource-limited settings. Efficient training methods can also alleviate the burden on healthcare systems.