Is Teleultrasound Ready for Obstetric Care?

Meta-analysis of 71 studies finds teleultrasound comparable to standard imaging in selected obstetric applications

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Teleultrasound shows diagnostic performance comparable to conventional ultrasound for fetal and placental structure identification.
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The pooled sensitivity for teleultrasound was 70%, with a false-positive rate of 3%, indicating strong diagnostic accuracy.
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Patients and clinicians reported high acceptability of teleultrasound, especially in reducing travel time and improving access.
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Emerging applications include patient-operated home ultrasound systems, though their diagnostic capabilities are currently limited.
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The authors recommend further high-quality randomized trials to validate teleultrasound before widespread implementation in obstetric care.

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