Ultrasound Quality Assurance for Singletons in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies.
Citation: Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 35(8):1725-33, 2016 AugPMID: 27353072Institution: MedStar Washington Hospital CenterDepartment: Obstetrics and Gynecology/Maternal-Fetal MedicineForm of publication: Journal ArticleMedline article type(s): Journal ArticleSubject headings: *Fetal Development/ph [Physiology] | *National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.) | *Quality Assurance, Health Care/sn [Statistics & Numerical Data] | *Ultrasonography, Prenatal/st [Standards] | Cephalometry/mt [Methods] | Cephalometry/sn [Statistics & Numerical Data] | Cephalometry/st [Standards] | Crown-Rump Length | Female | Humans | Pregnancy | Quality Assurance, Health Care/mt [Methods] | Reproducibility of Results | Ultrasonography, Prenatal/mt [Methods] | Ultrasonography, Prenatal/sn [Statistics & Numerical Data] | United StatesYear: 2016Abstract: CONCLUSIONS: Using rigorous procedures for training sonographers, coupled with quality assurance oversight, we determined that the measurements acquired longitudinally for singletons are both accurate and reliable for establishment of an ultrasound standard for fetal growth.ES - 1550-9613METHODS: After training on an ultrasound system and software, research sonographers were expected to capture blank (unmeasured) images in triplicate for crown-rump length, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length. A primary expert sonographer was designated and validated. A 5% sample (n = 740 of 14,785 scans) was randomly selected in 3 distinct rounds from within strata of maternal body mass index (round 1 only), gestational age, and research site. Unmeasured images were extracted from selected scans and measured with the ultrasound software by an expert sonographer. Correlations and coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated, and the within-measurement standard deviation (ie, technical error of the measurement), was calculated.OBJECTIVES: To report on the ultrasound quality assurance program for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies and describe both its advantages and generalizability.RESULTS: The reliability between the site sonographers and the expert was high, with correlations exceeding 0.99 for all dimensions in all rounds. The CV % values showed low variability, with the percentage differences being less than 2%, except for abdominal circumference in rounds 2 and 3, in which it averaged about 3%. Correlations remained high (>0.90) with increasing fetal size; there was a monotonic increase in technical errors of the measurement but without a corresponding increase in the CV %.Fiscal year: FY2017Digital Object Identifier: Date added to catalog: 2017-07-18Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Journal Article | MedStar Authors Catalog | Article | 27353072 | Available | 27353072 |
CONCLUSIONS: Using rigorous procedures for training sonographers, coupled with quality assurance oversight, we determined that the measurements acquired longitudinally for singletons are both accurate and reliable for establishment of an ultrasound standard for fetal growth.ES - 1550-9613
METHODS: After training on an ultrasound system and software, research sonographers were expected to capture blank (unmeasured) images in triplicate for crown-rump length, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length. A primary expert sonographer was designated and validated. A 5% sample (n = 740 of 14,785 scans) was randomly selected in 3 distinct rounds from within strata of maternal body mass index (round 1 only), gestational age, and research site. Unmeasured images were extracted from selected scans and measured with the ultrasound software by an expert sonographer. Correlations and coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated, and the within-measurement standard deviation (ie, technical error of the measurement), was calculated.
OBJECTIVES: To report on the ultrasound quality assurance program for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies and describe both its advantages and generalizability.
RESULTS: The reliability between the site sonographers and the expert was high, with correlations exceeding 0.99 for all dimensions in all rounds. The CV % values showed low variability, with the percentage differences being less than 2%, except for abdominal circumference in rounds 2 and 3, in which it averaged about 3%. Correlations remained high (>0.90) with increasing fetal size; there was a monotonic increase in technical errors of the measurement but without a corresponding increase in the CV %.
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