Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.

<h4>Background</h4>Child mortality rates remain unacceptably high in low-resource settings. Cause of death (CoD) is often unknown. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS)-using biopsy needles to obtain post-mortem samples-for histopathological and microbiologic investigation is increas...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sarah Lawrence, Dave Namusanya, Andrew Hamuza, Cornelius Huwa, Dennis Chasweka, Maureen Kelley, Sassy Molyneux, Wieger Voskuijl, Donna M Denno, Nicola Desmond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246369&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850163098114064384
author Sarah Lawrence
Dave Namusanya
Andrew Hamuza
Cornelius Huwa
Dennis Chasweka
Maureen Kelley
Sassy Molyneux
Wieger Voskuijl
Donna M Denno
Nicola Desmond
author_facet Sarah Lawrence
Dave Namusanya
Andrew Hamuza
Cornelius Huwa
Dennis Chasweka
Maureen Kelley
Sassy Molyneux
Wieger Voskuijl
Donna M Denno
Nicola Desmond
author_sort Sarah Lawrence
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Child mortality rates remain unacceptably high in low-resource settings. Cause of death (CoD) is often unknown. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS)-using biopsy needles to obtain post-mortem samples-for histopathological and microbiologic investigation is increasingly being promoted to improve child and adult CoD attribution. "MITS in Malawi" is a sub-study of the Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition (CHAIN) Network, which aims to identify biological and socioeconomic mortality risk factors among young children hospitalized for acute illness or undernutrition. MITS in Malawi employs standard MITS and a novel post-mortem endoscopic intestinal sampling approach to better understand CoD among children with acute illness and/or malnutrition who die during hospitalization.<h4>Aim</h4>To understand factors that may impact MITS acceptability and inform introduction of the procedure to ascertain CoD among children with acute illness or malnutrition who die during hospitalization in Malawi.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted eight focus group discussions with key hospital staff and community members (religious leaders and parents of children under 5) to explore attitudes towards MITS and inform consent processes prior to commencing the MITS in Malawi study. We used thematic content analysis drawing on a conceptual framework developed from emergent themes and MITS acceptability literature.<h4>Results</h4>Feelings of power over decision-making within the hospital and household, trust in health systems, and open and respectful health worker communication with parents were important dimensions of MITS acceptability. Other facilitating factors included the potential for MITS to add CoD information to aid sense-making of death and contribute to medical knowledge and new interventions. Potential barriers to acceptability included fears of organ and blood harvesting, disfigurement to the body, and disruption to transportation and burial plans.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Social relationships and power dynamics within healthcare systems and households are a critical component of MITS acceptability, especially given the sensitivity of death and autopsy.
format Article
id doaj-art-7a8ef807e37f4caebc80cf6120d0a8d6
institution OA Journals
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-7a8ef807e37f4caebc80cf6120d0a8d62025-08-20T02:22:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01162e024636910.1371/journal.pone.0246369Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.Sarah LawrenceDave NamusanyaAndrew HamuzaCornelius HuwaDennis ChaswekaMaureen KelleySassy MolyneuxWieger VoskuijlDonna M DennoNicola Desmond<h4>Background</h4>Child mortality rates remain unacceptably high in low-resource settings. Cause of death (CoD) is often unknown. Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS)-using biopsy needles to obtain post-mortem samples-for histopathological and microbiologic investigation is increasingly being promoted to improve child and adult CoD attribution. "MITS in Malawi" is a sub-study of the Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition (CHAIN) Network, which aims to identify biological and socioeconomic mortality risk factors among young children hospitalized for acute illness or undernutrition. MITS in Malawi employs standard MITS and a novel post-mortem endoscopic intestinal sampling approach to better understand CoD among children with acute illness and/or malnutrition who die during hospitalization.<h4>Aim</h4>To understand factors that may impact MITS acceptability and inform introduction of the procedure to ascertain CoD among children with acute illness or malnutrition who die during hospitalization in Malawi.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted eight focus group discussions with key hospital staff and community members (religious leaders and parents of children under 5) to explore attitudes towards MITS and inform consent processes prior to commencing the MITS in Malawi study. We used thematic content analysis drawing on a conceptual framework developed from emergent themes and MITS acceptability literature.<h4>Results</h4>Feelings of power over decision-making within the hospital and household, trust in health systems, and open and respectful health worker communication with parents were important dimensions of MITS acceptability. Other facilitating factors included the potential for MITS to add CoD information to aid sense-making of death and contribute to medical knowledge and new interventions. Potential barriers to acceptability included fears of organ and blood harvesting, disfigurement to the body, and disruption to transportation and burial plans.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Social relationships and power dynamics within healthcare systems and households are a critical component of MITS acceptability, especially given the sensitivity of death and autopsy.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246369&type=printable
spellingShingle Sarah Lawrence
Dave Namusanya
Andrew Hamuza
Cornelius Huwa
Dennis Chasweka
Maureen Kelley
Sassy Molyneux
Wieger Voskuijl
Donna M Denno
Nicola Desmond
Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
PLoS ONE
title Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
title_full Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
title_fullStr Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
title_full_unstemmed Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
title_short Hypothetical acceptability of hospital-based post-mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in Malawi: The role of complex social relationships.
title_sort hypothetical acceptability of hospital based post mortem pediatric minimally invasive tissue sampling in malawi the role of complex social relationships
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246369&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT sarahlawrence hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT davenamusanya hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT andrewhamuza hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT corneliushuwa hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT dennischasweka hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT maureenkelley hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT sassymolyneux hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT wiegervoskuijl hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT donnamdenno hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships
AT nicoladesmond hypotheticalacceptabilityofhospitalbasedpostmortempediatricminimallyinvasivetissuesamplinginmalawitheroleofcomplexsocialrelationships