The challenges for patients and sonographers when complex obstetric anomalies are identified

Abstract

The prenatal identification of complex obstetric anomalies can present issues for expectant parents, sonographers and departments of obstetric ultrasound. The limitations of imaging technologies, ongoing fetal development and various interpretations of anomalies and prognosis create ambiguity. Complexity is further heightened by a lack of policies and training related to the communication of unexpected findings and support for sonographers who work with expectant parents during or after times of significant distress and trauma. This case report details challenges presented upon a third-trimester diagnosis of a complex obstetric anomaly agenesis of the corpus callosum and offers recommendations to reduce the negative psychosocial consequences of complex obstetric anomaly diagnosis.

Adapting a communication coaching intervention for obstetric sonographers delivering unexpected news: A qualitative study

“… 8 The effectiveness of training is further improved when interventions use a news delivery framework, such as the ‘SPIKES’ protocol. 9 The ‘SPIKES’ acronym represents the recommended stages in news delivery for physicians, namely ‘ S etting up the interview’, ‘assessing the patient’s P erception’, ‘obtaining the patient’s I nvitation’, ‘giving K nowledge and information to the patient’, ‘addressing the patient’s E motions’ and ‘ S trategy and summary’. 10 SPIKES is the most widely used news delivery framework in medicine, but it assumes that physicians will have time to formulate their words prior to speaking with patients, which is the first step in the framework (‘Setting up the interview’).…”