Tailored smartphone learning to improve newborn and child admission care in Mwanza, Tanzania

Using adaptive e-learning and smartphones to improve newborn and pediatric admission care outcomes in Mwanza, Tanzania

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11194446

This project gives nurses and doctors in Mwanza personalized smartphone lessons plus hands-on practice so newborns and young children get better care when admitted to hospitals.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11194446 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a parent's view, the program trains local health workers using an adaptive eLearning platform called PACE on their phones, blended with in-person skills practice so lessons match each facility's needs. Course content is rapidly updated and tailored to fill real gaps in provider knowledge and practice. The team will track provider performance and patient outcomes at hospitals and health centers across Mwanza to see how care changes. The effort will finalize a plan to roll out the approach more widely if it improves admission care for children.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are newborns and children admitted to participating hospitals and health centers in the Mwanza region of Tanzania.

Not a fit: Children who are treated outside the participating Mwanza facilities or whose needs are unrelated to hospital admission care may not receive direct benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, hospitalized newborns and young children could receive faster, more accurate admission care, which may reduce complications and deaths.

How similar studies have performed: Pilot studies of the PACE adaptive eLearning have shown improved provider knowledge, but larger evidence tying this approach to better patient outcomes is still limited.

Where this research is happening

Stanford, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.