Tag: OB-GYN

First trimester detailed anatomy ultrasound exams are becoming an increasingly important part of early pregnancy assessment.

But while clinical guidelines clearly define what should be evaluated, many organizations still rely on reporting workflows that were not built specifically for women’s health — leading to variability in documentation and added effort for clinicians.

This raises an important question:

What should be included in a first trimester detailed anatomy ultrasound report?

Industry guidance, including recommendations from AIUM, outlines key anatomical structures that should be evaluated and documented during the exam.

These include:

Fetal anatomy appropriate for gestational age
Early structural development
Key measurements and observations
Supporting clinical context

While these standards define what should be captured, they do not define how that information is consistently documented across providers and sites.

Are most ultrasound reporting systems designed for first trimester detailed anatomy?

Many ultrasound reporting platforms are designed to support general imaging workflows across multiple specialties, and are not built with the needs of women’s health practices in mind.

As a result, they often require:

Manual customization of templates
Workarounds to capture specialty-specific data
Additional effort to align with clinical guidelines

This places the burden on clinical teams to adapt to the system, rather than the system supporting the exam.

What should an ultrasound reporting system support for first trimester detailed anatomy?

A reporting system designed for women’s health should:

Include structured templates aligned with clinical standards
Capture required anatomy fields consistently
Support clear and standardized terminology
Reduce manual documentation of normal findings
Allow flexibility for site-specific protocols

The goal is not just to document the exam, but to do so in a way that supports consistency and efficiency across providers.

How can structured templates improve first trimester workflow?

Structured templates can help align reporting with clinical expectations while reducing documentation burden. In a well-designed workflow:

Required anatomy fields are already present
Findings default to normal
Clinicians update only what is abnormal
Impressions and recommendations populate based on findings
Outputs reflect site-specific terminology and protocols

This approach ensures that key information is captured while minimizing unnecessary steps.

How does Asera support first trimester detailed anatomy reporting?

Asera was designed specifically for ultrasound-driven specialties, including women’s health and maternal-fetal medicine.

It includes out-of-the-box templates aligned with first trimester detailed anatomy requirements, reflecting what clinicians actually need in practice.

These templates:

Capture required anatomy fields in a structured format
Default findings to normal to reduce documentation time
Automatically populate impressions and recommendations through Set Actions
Allow customization to align with each site’s protocols

This means organizations do not need to build these workflows from scratch — they are already supported within the platform.

Why does this matter for clinical teams?

When reporting workflows are aligned with clinical standards:

Documentation becomes more consistent
Reports are easier to interpret
Variability across providers is reduced
Clinicians spend less time on repetitive tasks
Data is easier to review across the pregnancy timeline

This allows clinical teams to focus more on evaluation and decision-making, rather than documentation.

What’s the next step?

First trimester detailed anatomy exams are already standardized clinically. The next step is using a reporting system that reflects those standards in practice.

With out-of-the-box templates aligned to first trimester detailed anatomy requirements, structured workflows, and configurable terminology, Asera provides a solution that is ready to use — while still allowing each organization to align with its own protocols.

If your team is currently adapting your reporting system to fit your workflow, it may be time to consider a platform built specifically for it.

Schedule a demo to see how first trimester detailed anatomy reporting works in Asera.

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Lee Health, one of Southwest Florida’s growing regional health systems, had a challenge familiar to many growing healthcare organizations: keeping pace with rising patient volumes and expanding care locations — all while maintaining consistency and safety in women’s health imaging.

Across more than 30 sites, ultrasound workflows were fragmented and paper-based. Reports could take up to a week to complete, and sharing studies across facilities was difficult. As the system prepared for continued growth, it needed a modern foundation that could support collaboration and scale.

That’s when Lee Health turned to AS Software’s cloud-based ultrasound reporting and workflow platform, purpose-built for women’s health.

Building a Consistent Standard of Care

The move to AS Cloud was a system-wide redesign of how ultrasound care is delivered.

Reports are now completed within 24 hours (vs. 4-7 days before), with physicians able to review and sign off from anywhere

Real-time collaboration allows the system’s clinical educator to view scans remotely and guide sonographers in the moment, improving training and accuracy

Patients see results immediately in MyChart, strengthening communication and trust

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“I can now provide real-time feedback to our sonographers while they consult on current cases. It’s elevated both the speed and quality of our clinical decision-making.”
– Matthew Atack, Clinical System Educator, Lee Health

Driving Growth and Opportunity

Beyond faster reporting, digitization has created a foundation for long-term innovation:

Standardized workflows mean sonographers and physicians across every site work from the same playbook, improving consistency and reducing duplicate imaging

Expanded educational capacity supports the upcoming OB/GYN residency program (launching 2026) and strengthens Lee Health’s partnership with local universities to build a regional pipeline of specialists
Collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine extends high-risk maternal care into the community through shared access to the same AS platform

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“AS Software gives our sonographers and physicians the tools they need to do their jobs more accurately and efficiently.”
– Matthew Atack, Clinical System Educator, Lee Health

A Model for Scalable, Specialty-Specific Care

Lee Health’s experience demonstrates how cloud technology can help healthcare systems not only improve speed, but elevate quality, safety, and opportunity. With one connected platform for women’s health ultrasound, they’ve built a model that scales — from local clinics to academic partnerships and beyond.

Read the full case study to see how digital innovation is transforming women’s health ultrasound at Lee Health — and what it takes to make change system-wide.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an opportunity to highlight the need for effective breast cancer screening methods. While mammography remains a cornerstone of early detection, it can have limitations, particularly for individuals with dense breast tissue. For these women, supplementing mammograms with ultrasound can significantly improve screening outcomes by identifying cancers that might otherwise go undetected.

Dense Breast Tissue and Cancer Detection Challenges

Dense breast tissue is common in 40-50% of women aged 40-74 and consists of more glandular and connective tissue. On a mammogram, dense tissue appears white—similar to how tumors appear—making it challenging to distinguish between healthy tissue and potential malignancies (Mayo Clinic). Research indicates that up to 50% of breast cancers may be missed in women with dense breasts when relying on mammograms alone. Additionally, according to Susan G. Komen®, dense breast tissue not only increases the risk of missed cancers but also modestly raises the likelihood of developing breast cancer itself.

Why Ultrasound Makes a Difference

Ultrasound is a valuable, non-invasive, radiation-free imaging option that improves breast cancer detection, especially for women with dense breast tissue. By highlighting areas of concern, it helps healthcare providers differentiate between benign and malignant masses. Yale Medicine emphasizes that ultrasound can improve cancer detection, complementing mammography and revealing cancers that may be obscured in dense tissue.

Advancements such as AI-powered imaging, 3D/4D capabilities, and cloud-enabled solutions further enhance the precision and efficiency of screenings. These innovations assist radiologists in accurately characterizing lesions, streamline clinical workflows through integration with electronic health records (EHR), and support faster, more confident diagnoses and treatment decisions.

Empowering Providers and Patients

Advanced ultrasound technology empowers both patients and healthcare providers. For patients, it offers a more comfortable screening option that enhances the accuracy of breast cancer detection without the use of radiation. For providers, it means access to advanced tools that support better decision-making and patient outcomes.

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues, raising awareness about the benefits of supplemental ultrasound screening for those with dense breast tissue is an important step toward empowering patients and reducing breast cancer risks. To learn more, explore insights from Yale Medicine and resources from Susan G. Komen®.