Dana Moon
Supervisor: Abhilash Rakkunedeth Hareendranath
Project: Screening for developmental hip dysplasia with AI in rural, remote and Indigenous babies
"I take great pride not only in participating in scientific research but also in contributing to studies that can profoundly impact individuals throughout their lives, empowering a person to grow into an adult and reach their fullest potential."
Knowledge sharing when introducing a screening tool for developmental hip dysplasia in rural, remote and Indigenous babies
Indigenous populations are at higher risk of having developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) than the general population. DDH occurs when a shallow hip joint socket puts the baby at risk for joint dislocation, and this condition can typically be treated with a harness during the early weeks of life.
Currently in Canada, screening for DDH is done by sonographers and radiologists – an approach requiring patients to travel centrally. Further, only at-risk babies are screened (i.e., breech or familial history), leading to the potential for missed diagnoses.
As a solution, our team is investigating the use of handheld portable ultrasound paired with artificial intelligence (AI) for DDH screening. The AI reads the image and recommends a follow-up path. With any innovation, one challenge is determining how to best train new users and introduce the innovation to parents.
In this project, we propose the implementation of this screening tool in the remote locations of Fort McMurray and Ft. McKay in Alberta, with a focus on the development and analysis of the success and challenges of using knowledge-sharing tools for users of the technology and rural, remote, and Indigenous parents/caregivers of potential patients.
Dana Moon was supervised by Abhilash Rakkunedeth Hareendranath and her summer studentship was funded by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. She is enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program.
