Prenatal Screening Ontario and Nuchal Translucency Quality Assurance

Prenatal Screening Ontario (PSO) is developing a nuchal translucency quality assurance (NTQA) program for first trimester screening in Ontario. Through the implementation of the NTQA program, PSO will work to support sonographers in their practice by using tools (e.g., personalized NT performance distribution audits and NT image audits) to assess NT measurement performance, and feedback to help sonographers improve and/or maintain their skills. PSO will also work to educate the imaging community as a whole on the importance of supporting sonographers in their NT practice by creating working environments conducive to high quality NT image acquisition.

The Nuchal Translucency Quality Assurance (NTQA) Working Group

The role of the NTQA working group is to guide and support PSO in developing and initiating an NTQA program in the province, and to identify pathways for sonographer communication, education, and remediation as necessary.

The roles and responsibilities of the NTQA Working Group

• To co-create strategies for disseminating information to sonographers across the province
• To identify opportunities and platforms for sonographer education
• To discuss and develop plans for an Ontario-wide NTQA program that will include both NT image audits and personalized NT performance distribution audits
• To provide counsel and insight to PSO on the sonography landscape
• To identify key metrics for performance assessment