Feasibility, Acceptance and Quality of Remote Self-Guided Mobile Ultrasound in Prenatal Care: A Feasibility Study

Hintergrund The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, user acceptance and image quality of self-administered ultrasound examinations using the Pulsenmore ES system with two operational modes: (1) Clinican-Guided (CG) mode including real-time teleguidance and (2) App-Guided (AG) mode following a video tutorial.

Methoden In this open, prospective, single-center feasibility study, 52 women with singleton pregnancies from 17+1 to 39+2 weeks of gestation were included. Remote guidance was provided through both modes in a cross-over study setting. Feasibility and acceptance were evaluated using a questionnaire. Success rates of detecting the fetal presentation, fetal heartbeat, fetal profile and amniotic fluid were assessed.

Ergebnisse This study showed a high acceptance rate of 94% (95% CI, 84.1-98.8%) for self-examination using both modes. All patients agreed that the app was easy to use and 98% agreed that handling was straightforward. Over 80% of participants perceived self-examination as a useful addition to routine examinations, with acceptance rates of 82.7% for AG and 84.6% for CG mode. Success rates for locating target structures with sufficient image quality differed between the modes (AG versus CG): 85.7% vs. 100% for fetal presentation, 69.4% vs. 98.1% for fetal heartbeat and 71.4% vs. 82.4% for amniotic fluid, respectively. Only 8% of participants assessed the fetal profile with sufficient quality in the CG mode.

Schlussfolgerung Both assessed modes showed good feasibility and a broad acceptance. Image quality was generally higher in the CG mode, although adequate quality for assessing fetal presentation, heartbeat and amniotic fluid was achieved in both modes.

Publication History

Article published online:
16 October 2025