Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) alumna Theresa Rager '19 was the lead author of an article titled, "Usability of Rapid Cholera Detection Device (OmniVis) for Water Quality Workers in Bangladesh: Iterative Convergent Mixed Methods Study," published in medical internet research journal, JMIR. The publication stems from Rager's MSGH capstone project completed with Eck Institute for Global Health faculty affiliate Cristian Koepfli, assistant professor of biological sciences.

The project focuses on cholera infections through contaminated water in Bangladesh. Rager and her co-authors evaluated the usability of the new OmniVis device targeted to identify and map water sources contaminated with cholera. The trials shed light on common user errors, device malfunctions, and confidence in the device's ability to detect cholera. In the trials, the device showed a significant reduction in mean time to complete a test compared to the gold standard laboratory protocols which pushed the authors to recommend the device for further development. 

Collaborators on the project included OmniVis and icddr,b.

Read the article here: https://www.jmir.org/2021/5/e22973/

To learn more about the 2019 capstone project, visit: https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/masters/alumni/evaluating-the-usability-of-the-omnivis-rapid-cholera-detection-device-with-water-quality-workers-in-dhaka-bangladesh/

The Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame endeavors to promote research, training, and service for the advancement of health standards for all people. The institute recognizes health as a fundamental human right and aims to support those in developing countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. To learn more about the institute, please visit globalhealth.nd.edu.

Contact:

Kelly Thomson / Institute Coordinator

Eck Institute for Global Health / University of Notre Dame

kthomson@nd.edu / 574.631.2171

globalhealth.nd.edu / @ndeckinstitute