Standardisation and quality control of ultrasound measurements taken in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project

I Sarris; C Ioannou; E O Ohuma; D G Altman; L Hoch; C Cosgrove; S Fathima; L J Salomon; A T Papageorghiou; International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century

doi:10.1111/1471-0528.12315

Standardisation and quality control of ultrasound measurements taken in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project

BJOG. 2013 Sep:120 Suppl 2:33-7, v. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.12315. Epub 2013 Jul 11.

Authors

I Sarris¹, C Ioannou, E O Ohuma, D G Altman, L Hoch, C Cosgrove, S Fathima, L J Salomon, A T Papageorghiou; International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century

Collaborators

International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century:
M Katz, M K Bhan, C Garza, S Zaidi, A Langer, P M Rothwell, D Weatherall, Z A Bhutta, J Villar, S Kennedy, D G Altman, F C Barros, E Bertino, F Burton, M Carvalho, L Cheikh Ismail, W C Chumlea, M G Gravett, Y A Jaffer, A Lambert, P Lumbiganon, J A Noble, R Y Pang, A T Papageorghiou, M Purwar, J Rivera, C Victora, J Villar, D G Altman, Z A Bhutta, L Cheikh Ismail, S Kennedy, A Lambert, J A Noble, A T Papageorghiou, J Villar, S Kennedy, L Cheikh Ismail, A Lambert, A T Papageorghiou, M Shorten, L Hoch, H E Knight, E O Ohuma, C Cosgrove, I Blakey, D G Altman, F Roseman, N Kunnawar, S H Gu, J H Wang, M H Wu, M Domingues, P Gilli, L Juodvirsiene, L Hoch, N Musee, H Al-Jabri, S Waller, C Cosgrove, D Muninzwa, E O Ohuma, D Yellappan, A Carter, D Reade, R Miller, A T Papageorghiou, L Salomon, A Leston, A Mitidieri, F Al-Aamri, W Paulsene, J Sande, W K S Al-Zadjali, C Batiuk, S Bornemeier, M Carvalho, M Dighe, P Gaglioti, N Jacinta, S Jaiswal, J A Noble, K Oas, M Oberto, E Olearo, M G Owende, J Shah, S Sohoni, T Todros, M Venkataraman, S Vinayak, L Wang, D Wilson, Q Q Wu, S Zaidi, Y Zhang, P Chamberlain, D Danelon, I Sarris, J Dhami, C Ioannou, C L Knight, R Napolitano, C Pace, V Mkrtychyan, L Cheikh Ismail, W C Chumlea, F Al-Habsi, Z A Bhutta, A Carter, M Alija, J M Jimenez-Bustos, J Kizidio, F Puglia, N Kunnawar, H Liu, S Lloyd, D Mota, R Ochieng, C Rossi, M Sanchez Luna, Y J Shen, H E Knight, D A Rocco, I O Frederick, Z A Bhutta, E Albernaz, M Batra, B A Bhat, E Bertino, P Di, F Giuliani, I Rovelli, K McCormick, R Ochieng, R Y Pang, V Paul, V Rajan, A Wilkinson, A Varalda, B Eskenazi, L A Corra, H Dolk, J Golding, A Matijasevich, T de Wet, J J Zhang, A Bradman, D Finkton, O Burnham, F Farhi, F C Barros, M Domingues, S Fonseca, A Leston, A Mitidieri, D Mota, I K Sclowitz, M F da Silveira, R Y Pang, Y P He, Y Pan, Y J Shen, M H Wu, Q Q Wu, J H Wang, Y Yuan, Y Zhang, M Purwar, A Choudhary, S Choudhary, S Deshmukh, D Dongaonkar, M Ketkar, V Khedikar, N Kunnawar, C Mahorkar, I Mulik, K Saboo, C Shembekar, A Singh, V Taori, K Tayade, A Somani, E Bertino, P Di Nicola, M Frigerio, G Gilli, P Gilli, M Giolito, F Giuliani, M Oberto, L Occhi, C Rossi, I Rovelli, F Signorile, T Todros, M Carvalho, J Kizidio, R Ochieng, J Shah, W Stones, S Vinayak, N Musee, C Kisiang'ane, D Muninzwa, Y A Jaffer, J Al-Abri, J Al-Abduwani, F M Al-Habsi, H Al-Lawatiya, B Al-Rashidiya, W K S Al-Zadjali, F R Juangco, M Venkataraman, H Al-Jabri, D Yellappan, S Kennedy, L Cheikh Ismail, A T Papageorghiou, F Roseman, A Lambert, S Lloyd, R Napolitano, C Ioannou, I Sarris, M G Gravett, C Batiuk, M Batra, S Bornemeier, M Dighe, K Oas, W Paulsene, D Wilson, I O Frederick, H F Andersen, S E Abbott, A A Carter, H Algren, D A Rocco, T K Sorensen, D Enquobahrie, S Waller

Affiliation

¹ Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Oxford Maternal & Perinatal Health Institute, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

PMID: 23841486
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.12315

Abstract

Meticulous standardisation and ongoing monitoring of adherence to measurement protocols during data collection are essential to ensure consistency and to minimise systematic error in multicentre studies. Strict ultrasound fetal biometric measurement protocols are used in the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project so that data of the highest quality from different centres can be compared and potentially pooled. A central Ultrasound Quality Unit (USQU) has been set up to oversee this process. After initial training and standardisation, the USQU monitors the performance of all ultrasonographers involved in the project by continuously assessing the quality of the images and the consistency of the measurements produced. Ultrasonographers are identified when they exceed preset maximum allowable differences. Corrective action is then taken in the form of retraining or simply advice regarding changes in practice. This paper describes the procedures used, which can form a model for research settings involving ultrasound measurements.

Keywords: Fetal biometry; INTERGROWTH-21st; quality control; standardisation; ultrasound measurements.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Body Weights and Measures / methods
Body Weights and Measures / standards*
Clinical Competence
Clinical Protocols
Female
Fetal Development*
Growth Charts*
Humans
Longitudinal Studies / methods
Longitudinal Studies / standards
Multicenter Studies as Topic / methods
Multicenter Studies as Topic / standards*
Observer Variation
Pregnancy
Quality Control
Research Design / standards*
Ultrasonography, Prenatal / methods
Ultrasonography, Prenatal / standards*

Grants and funding

Department of Health/United Kingdom