Robotic prenatal ultrasound to improve access to healthcare in rural areas

In rural areas, pregnant patients often face two challenges. The geographical distance from maternity wards and specialists, as well as a shortage of professionals qualified to perform high-quality ultrasound scans, complicate access to care. These constraints, which prolong the time taken to reach a diagnosis, also undermine continuity of care. Today, robotic prenatal ultrasound appears to be a solution for digitally bridging the gap between the imaging specialist and their patient. Without requiring the patient to travel or replacing the clinician, it enables a specialist to perform the examination remotely with real-time control of the probe and the image. This article demonstrates how this technology can improve access to care by supporting rural healthcare facilities.

How does a robotic antenatal ultrasound scan work?

Robotic prenatal tele-ultrasound involves:

• an ultrasound robot fitted with a probe, installed in a location with a shortage of obstetricians or sonographers;
• a technician or nurse with no ultrasound training, who assists the specialist by holding the robot against the patient’s body;
• a specialist, who remotely controls the robotic arm at the end of which the probe is located, as well as the ultrasound settings (gain, depth, measurement, Doppler, etc.), regardless of the distance between them and the patient.

This care pathway standardises the conditions under which the examination is carried out, drawing on medical expertise to ensure the quality of interpretation while maintaining proximity to the patient.

👉 Solutions such as MELODY, developed by AdEchoTech, demonstrate that robotics can be a practical solution for reducing inequalities in access to healthcare.

Robotic prenatal ultrasound to improve access to healthcare in rural areas

Robotic prenatal ultrasound scans are now being used in remote areas. In Canada, in the village of La Loche in Saskatchewan, an ultrasound robot has been installed in a small local clinic, with a nurse on hand to prepare the patient.

A study of 87 examinations showed that, in around 70% of cases, the patient was able to avoid a long and costly journey to a hospital. Furthermore, the majority of patients surveyed indicated that they would use the system again.

This model illustrates how robotics, combined with a local presence, makes specialist expertise accessible remotely, without disrupting the continuity of care.

Robotic tele-ultrasound to reduce isolation among pregnant patients

One of the major challenges in rural areas is the geographical distance from maternity wards and specialists. This can delay or discourage people from seeking medical advice, particularly when faced with financial, family or work-related constraints.

To address this, robotic ultrasound scans make it possible to:

• reduce the need for travel for routine or follow-up examinations;
• streamline coordination between the local practitioner and the referral centre through standardised, high-quality images and rapid feedback;
• enhance continuity of care by integrating the examination into an established care pathway.

For a patient living in a rural area, this means less time wasted, less travel-related stress and more regular check-ups.

Prenatal ultrasound to improve safety in high-risk pregnancies

High-risk pregnancies (gestational diabetes, hypertension, chronic conditions, complex obstetric history, etc.) require close monitoring and specialist expertise. In rural areas, the lack of specialists on site can therefore delay the detection of warning signs or limit the quality of examinations.

Robotic ultrasound systems make it possible to:

• centralise expertise in referral centres;
• standardise examination protocols;
• facilitate early management of abnormalities.

In this context, robotics expands the clinician’s scope of action without replacing them.

A tool designed to support rural healthcare facilities

Robotics offers a solution for maintaining high-quality healthcare provision in rural health facilities despite constraints relating to size, budget and human resources. Indeed, a small health centre can provide high-quality antenatal scans without needing to employ a full-time sonographer.

Local practitioners can also collaborate with specialist centres, benefiting from feedback and remote training. Finally, modern systems often incorporate traceability, reporting and data analysis functions.

With this in mind, the design and manufacturing of ultrasound robots are carried out in close collaboration with healthcare stakeholders, hospitals and research agencies to meet the needs of local communities.

The integration of remote ultrasound into the overall healthcare strategy

Robotic tele-ultrasound should not be presented as a miracle solution, but as one component among many in a comprehensive healthcare strategy.

It must:

• be accompanied by training for frontline professionals to ensure they are proficient in using the devices;
• form part of public health policies aimed at strengthening the medical workforce;
• remain patient-centred.

From this perspective, robotic ultrasound does not replace doctors, but complements their work by making expertise accessible where it is most needed.

Robotic ultrasound scans are now one of the most practical tools for reducing regional inequalities in antenatal care. These solutions are inspired by experiences in rural areas of the United States, such as Alabama, where the closure of maternity units has severely reduced access to antenatal ultrasound scans. They demonstrate how technology can help bring expertise closer to patients. The challenge now is to roll out these solutions by integrating them into coherent care pathways, to ensure the training of healthcare professionals, and to assess their contribution to pregnancy monitoring and antenatal care.