title: Cervical length screening: a randomized trial assessing the impact on visit length and patient attitudes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to quantify the time required for transvaginal cervical length measurements during a second-trimester anatomy scan and to evaluate patient attitudes regarding cervical length assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consenting women were randomly assigned to one of the following: (1) standard arm-cervix visualized, no prespecified cervical length measurement; (2) sequential arm-3 transabdominal cervical length measurements obtained, transvaginal sonography performed if images were inadequate or if any measurement was 3 cm or less; and (3) screening transvaginal sonography arm-3 transvaginal cervical length measurements obtained. Times were recorded for the entire examination and cervical length evaluation. Participants completed a questionnaire at the end of their visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty of 230 eligible women enrolled. Demographic characteristics were similar across groups except for body mass index, which was greater in the sequential arm than the screening arm (mean ± SD, 28.5 ± 7.75 versus 24.7 ± 3.89 kg/m(2); P = .03). There were no differences in total examination times between the 3 arms (24.8 ± 8.59 versus 27.8 ± 8.75 versus 28.5 ± 7.78 minutes; P= .39). There were no differences across groups in participant attitudes regarding examination discomfort or embarrassment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Performing screening transvaginal sonography to measure cervical length did not have a statistically significant impact on the amount of time for completion of the entire examination. Participants had positive responses regarding cervical length assessment by transabdominal and transvaginal sonography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah USA (S.T.R.); and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah USA (C.C.H., H.F., T.F.P., M.S.E.). stephanieromero@health.usf.edu.
authors.forename: Stephanie T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah USA (S.T.R.); and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah USA (C.C.H., H.F., T.F.P., M.S.E.).
authors.forename: Calla C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah USA (S.T.R.); and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah USA (C.C.H., H.F., T.F.P., M.S.E.).
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feltovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah USA (S.T.R.); and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah USA (C.C.H., H.F., T.F.P., M.S.E.).
authors.forename: T Flint
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah USA (S.T.R.); and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah USA (C.C.H., H.F., T.F.P., M.S.E.).
authors.forename: M Sean
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Esplin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D054791:Cervical Length Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: cervical length screening; obstetric ultrasound; sonographic cervical length; transvaginal cervical length