Excellence of Care Standards for Providing Ultrasound and Other Medical Services in a Pregnancy Resource Clinic

Clinical practice guidelines are common within the medical field, with over 1,500 issued in the past decade. Within the medical arm of the pregnancy center movement, there has been an increasing awareness of the need to give some guidance and standards to those performing ultrasound examinations at their centers. The Physicians Resource Council of Focus on the Family has assisted in drafting, reviewing, and approving these evolving standards. The authors agree that if a center follows these guidelines, they will be giving care within the medical scope of practice for pregnancy centers doing ultrasound exams and providing other limited medical services.

Download the guidelines in PDF format.

All Pregnancy Medical Clinics in the Option Ultrasound Program provide limited obstetrical ultrasound as medically indicated. Clinics are licensed to operate under the supervision of a physician, using only trained sonographers. Focus on the Family does not endorse the use of ultrasound outside of a medical clinic setting and does not endorse the use of ultrasound for non-medical reasons. Patient referrals are made to physicians for follow-up diagnosis and care as needed.