Stakeholders’ Perspectives on the Application of New Diagnostic Devices for Urinary Schistosomiasis in Oyo State, Nigeria: A Q-Methodology Approach

Journal Article (2022)
Author(s)

Karlheinz Samenjo (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)

Michel Bengtson (Leiden University Medical Center)

A.A. Onasanya (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)

Juan Carlo Intriago Zambrano (TU Delft - Water Resources)

Opeyemi Oladunni (University of Ibadan, Ibadan)

Oladimeji Oladepo (University of Ibadan, Ibadan)

JML van Engelen (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)

JC Diehl (TU Delft - Design for Sustainability)

Research Group
Design for Sustainability
Copyright
© 2022 K.T. Samenjo, Michel Bengtson, A.A. Onasanya, J.C. Intriago Zambrano, Opeyemi Oladunni, Oladimeji Oladepo, J.M.L. van Engelen, J.C. Diehl
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-21-00780
More Info
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Publication Year
2022
Language
English
Copyright
© 2022 K.T. Samenjo, Michel Bengtson, A.A. Onasanya, J.C. Intriago Zambrano, Opeyemi Oladunni, Oladimeji Oladepo, J.M.L. van Engelen, J.C. Diehl
Research Group
Design for Sustainability
Issue number
4
Volume number
10
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Abstract

Urinary schistosomiasis is a waterborne parasitic infection caused by Schistosoma haematobium that affects approximately 30 million people annually in Nigeria. Treatment and eradication of this infection require effective diagnostics. However, current diagnostic tests have critical shortcomings and consequently are of limited value to stakeholders throughout the health care system who are involved in targeting the diagnosis and subsequent control of schistosomiasis. New diagnostic devices that fit the local health care infrastructure and support the different stakeholder diagnostic strategies remain a critical need. This study focuses on understanding, by means of Q-methodology, the context of use and application of a new diagnostic device that is needed to effectively diagnose urinary schistosomiasis in Oyo State, Nigeria. Q-methodology is a technique that investigates subjectivity by exploring how stakeholders rank-order opinion statements about a phenomenon. In this study, 40 statements were administered to evaluate stakeholder perspectives on the context of use and application of potential new diagnostic devices and how these perspectives or viewpoints are shared with other stakeholders. Potential new diagnostic devices will need to be deployable to remote or distant communities, be affordable, identify and confirm infection status before treatment in patients whose diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis is based on self-reporting, and equip health care facilities with diagnostic devices optimized for the local setting while requiring local minimal infrastructural settings. Similarly, the context of use and application of a potential new diagnostic device for urinary schistosomiasis is primarily associated with the tasks stakeholders throughout the health care system perform or procedures employed. These findings will guide the development of new diagnostic devices for schistosomiasis that match the contextual landscape and diagnostic strategies in Oyo.