Improving Healthcare Provider Competency in Neonatal Jaundice Screening Using a Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer in Rwanda

BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of neonatal jaundice requires competent healthcare providers. Evidence suggests that educational and competency-building interventions improve provider performance and adherence to evidence-based practices, highlighting the importance of strengthening provider competency to support early detection and neonatal outcomes. PURPOSE: Improving Healthcare Provider Competency in Neonatal Jaundice Screening Using a Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer in Rwanda. METHODS: A pre-post educational evaluation was conducted among 47 healthcare providers, including nurses, midwives, and doctors, at a large tertiary hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Competency-based education, hands-on training in TcB use, supervised clinical practice, and monthly performance feedback were provided. Paired t-tests were used to compare baseline and postintervention scores; a run chart was used for monitoring monthly trends, and Cohen d was calculated to assess effect sizes. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were observed in provider knowledge, practical skills, and documentation accuracy after implementation of the competency-building intervention (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Knowledge scores increased from 80.3% to 91.8%, practical skills from 40.8% to 97.1%, and documentation accuracy from 85.6% to 91.3%. Monthly assessments demonstrated progressive improvement across the implementation period. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: Strengthening and sustaining healthcare provider competency should be prioritized to ensure consistent and accurate neonatal jaundice assessment, and future research should evaluate strategies that support long-term adherence to screening practices.