Distractors: Do we need a policy safeguarding sonographers' working conditions during obstetric ultrasound examinations?

Distraction during obstetric scanning is a concern to sonographers, impacting on the safety of ultrasound for the pregnant patient, observers, and themselves. Our objective was to survey obstetric ultrasound practitioners to determine the formulation of policy in this area to mitigate the potential negative impacts of distractors. Methods An online survey was disseminated through professional bodies to study the views of Australian and New Zealand obstetric sonographers/sonologists on policy to combat distractors. Results Seventy‐eight percent of the surveyed sonographers (n = 393) responded to the closed‐ended questions on policy, with ~1/3 offering qualitative data/comments on workplace policy. Current policy direction was aimed at: the number of observers, the presence of children, separation of the medical and social bonding components of the scan, use of electronic devices, and the concept of “sonographer discretion.” Predominantly, (~66% of responses) policy was not adhered to due to multiple factors including fear of patient complaints if the policy was enforced. Conclusion The tension in obstetric sonography between medical diagnostics and social bonding is of concern to sonographers in our study. The way forward may involve a combination of patient education and a policy backed up by a professional authority, which is implemented and enforced by an employer.