Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33419397›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2021

Implementation of a fetal ultrasound telemedicine service: women's views and family costs.

V J Smith, A Marshall, M L S Lie, E Bidmead, B Beckwith, E Van Oudgaarden, S C Robson

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Self-administered tele-ultrasound in fetal telemonitoring: Prospective study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026
    Observational
  6. Introduction of robot-assisted obstetric ultrasound in rural Northern Norway.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

V J SmithNorthumbria University, G206, Coach Lane Campus, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7XA, UK. vikki.smith@northumbria.ac.uk.
A MarshallUniversity of Cumbria, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK.
M L S LieNewcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
E BidmeadUniversity of Cumbria, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK.
B BeckwithThe Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
E Van OudgaardenNorth Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cumbria, UK.
S C RobsonNewcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
University of Cumbria · GBNewcastle University · GBNewcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GBNorthumbria University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe complexity of fetal medicine (FM) referrals that can be managed within obstetric units is dependent on the availability of specialist ultrasound expertise. Telemedicine can effectively transfer real-time ultrasound images via video-conferencing. We report the successful introduction of a fetal ultrasound telemedicine service linking a specialist fetal medicine (FM) centre and a remote obstetric unit.

methodsOver a four-year period from October 2015, all women referred for FM consultation from the obstetric unit were seen via telemedicine, excluding cases where invasive testing, intrauterine therapy or cardiac anomalies were anticipated. The outcomes measured included the indication for FM referral; scan duration and image and sound quality during the consultation. Women's perceptions of the telemedicine consultation and estimated costs to attend the FM centre were measured by a structured questionnaire completed following the first telemedicine appointment during the Phase 1 of the project.

resultsOverall, 297 women had a telemedicine consultation during Phase 1 (pilot and evaluation) and Phase 2 (embedding and adoption) of the project, which covered a 4 year period 34 women completed questionnaires during the Phase 1 of the study. Travel to the telemedicine consultation took a median (range) time of 20 min (4150), in comparison to an estimated journey of 230 min (120,450) to the FM centre. On average, women would have spent approximately £28 to travel to the FM centre per visit. The overall costs for the woman and her partner/ friend to attend the FM centre was estimated to be £439. Women were generally satisfied with the service and valued the opportunity to have a FM consultation locally.

conclusionsWe have demonstrated that a fetal ultrasound telemedicine service can be successfully introduced to provide FM ultrasound of sufficient quality to allow fetal diagnosis and specialist consultation with parents. Furthermore, the service is acceptable to parents, has shown a reduction in family costs and journey times.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCosts and Cost AnalysisFemaleFinancing, PersonalHealth Services AccessibilityHumansOutcome Assessment, Health CarePatient SatisfactionPregnancyPregnant PeopleReferral and ConsultationTelemedicineTime FactorsUltrasonography, PrenatalUnited KingdomFetal medicinePregnancyTelemedicineUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID33419397
PMCPMC7793392
OpenAlexW3119358429

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.