WA innovation brings specialist maternity ultrasound care to country communities

An innovative WA Country Health Service (WACHS) project is aiming to improve access to timely, expert antenatal care for women with high-risk pregnancies in the Kimberley and Pilbara.

The Connected Care: Advancing Maternal-Fetal Health with Telehealth Ultrasound Across Western Australia project will pilot a real-time tele-ultrasound service linking clinics in the two regions with Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) subspecialists at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH).

Led by WACHS Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Associate Professor Jared Watts, the service will strengthen local clinical capacity and promote culturally safe care.

With more than 6000 pregnancies annually in rural and remote WA, the project also aims to support early diagnosis and intervention and reduce travel burden.

Assoc. Professor Watts said local clinicians would be able to attend telehealth ultrasound appointments with their patients and the MFM subspecialist at KEMH, creating a more connected, collaborative model of care.

“We’re excited to explore how remote MFM subspecialist-level ultrasounds from KEMH to WACHS sites can reduce the need for patients to travel to Perth and upskill local sonographers, obstetricians, and GPOs (General Practitioner Obstetricians),” he said.

“This innovative project aims to improve birthing and antenatal care, closer to home for women and families, while enhancing communication between country clinicians and tertiary services.”

The project has received a major boost after securing over $450,000 in funding through the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund’s Targeted Call - Health System Solutions program.

Its practicality and operational readiness will be tested over two years to ensure it is fit-for-purpose.