Access to high-quality obstetric ultrasound is critical for improving maternal and fetal outcomes, yet disparities in availability persist globally, as well as within our own communities in Australia and New Zealand.
This talk will explore the barriers women face in accessing ultrasound services, including geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural challenges. This interactive session will challenge sonographers to think of solutions to this whilst also highlighting strategies for bridging these gaps, such as mobile ultrasound units, telemedicine, workforce training, new technologies and innovative funding models.
Emphasis will be placed on the role of sonographers and healthcare systems in ensuring equitable care, empowering women through education, and leveraging technology to deliver high-quality obstetric ultrasound to every woman, regardless of location or circumstance.

The long-standing shortage of sonographers in rural Australia and the obstacles rural clinicians face accessing training/Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities present a significant challenge for the adoption of Point-of-care Ultrasound (PoCUS) skills by non-imaging health professionals. The Healthy Newborn Project (HNP) aimed to address this problem and contribute to PoCUS research in rural Australia to improve antenatal healthcare services and support rural healthcare workers.
Generously funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group, the HNP has delivered four two-day antenatal PoCUS training workshops to 41 rural/remote doctors, midwives, and nurses in 2018 and 2019 at UniSA’s simulation laboratory in Adelaide. In 2022, the team delivered two additional workshops directly to 23 rural/remote clinicians in Alice Springs.
The HNP also conducted a national needs-analysis and training/accreditation surveys of 184 rural clinicians investigating ultrasound use, accessibility and CPD opportunities in rural Australia. This research guided the development of a focus group study of 35 healthcare professionals in 2024, providing crucial insight from stakeholders and frontline rural clinicians into the barriers and enablers to PoCUS use, service access and successful training program implementation. Once analyses are complete, collected data will inform an options paper for establishing a sustainable and accessible antenatal PoCUS training program for rural Australian clinicians using a COM-B and APEASE implementation frameworks.
This talk will present some of the HNP’s findings to date, outlining the challenges faced and opportunities identified along the way.

The presentation considers how sonographers can adopt a patient-centred approach in ultrasound practice, focusing on the integration of clinical expertise, empathy, and effective communication. Emphasising the importance of holistic patient engagement, the presentation highlights the need for well-developed departmental protocols that prioritise patient care. Patient-centred care places the individual at the heart of their healthcare experience, addressing their needs and concerns. Central to this approach is ensuring patients feel informed and respected. Collaboration with other healthcare professionals, including the reporting physician, is vital to delivering high-quality patient-centred care to foster stronger relationships and enhances patient satisfaction.
A key aspect of this approach is the integration of the ASUM Guidelines, endorsed by the ASA, which emphasise parent-centred communication in obstetric ultrasound. These guidelines encourage sonographers to provide clear explanations of the imaging process, discuss findings sensitively, and offer emotional support throughout the patient examination.
Drawing on the guidelines, the presentation outlines strategies for improving patient experiences, including transparent communication, managing anxiety, and fostering trust to demonstrate how adherence to the guidelines helps sonographers navigate complex situations, such as delivering difficult news, while managing emotional challenges. By following these guidelines, sonographers can improve patient outcomes and maintain professionalism.
Finally, the presentation reports on an evaluation of the implementation of the ASUM Guidelines, introduced three years ago, and whether they have successfully promoted parent-centred communication in obstetric ultrasound and improved clinical practice for sonographers in the workplace.