Consensus guidelines on the communication of unexpected news via ultrasound

UK sonographers and ultrasound practitioners working in obstetric ultrasound settings deliver unexpected findings to expectant parents as standard. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the specific words, phrases and behaviours that represent best practice when communicating these findings. The current document contains consensus guidelines for news delivery which were initially generated during a one-day workshop attended by 28 stakeholders including interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, policy experts, representatives from third-sector organisations, lay experts and academic researchers. The draft guidelines were then circulated among the wider reading group which included the initial workshop attendees and an additional 11 contributors. Feedback was incorporated into the document until consensus was reached. The guidelines provide specific suggestions for words and phrases which sonographers and ultrasound practitioners can use in various news delivery scenarios which may arise in Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) and Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP) settings.