Pre‐Scan Informedness and Anxiety During the 20‐Week Morphology Ultrasound: A Prospective Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Introduction The 20‐week morphology ultrasound is a key milestone in antenatal care that combines diagnostic assessment with parental bonding but may also provoke maternal anxiety. Patient informedness, defined as how prepared and knowledgeable women feel about the scan, may influence emotional responses; however, Australian evidence remains limited. This study examined the relationship between pre‐scan informedness and anxiety, with an exploratory analysis of cost expectations between patient types. Methods A prospective cross‐sectional survey was conducted with 78 antenatal patients prior to their morphology scan. A 17‐item Qualtrics questionnaire collected data on demographics, pregnancy history, complications, informedness, anxiety and cost expectations. Associations were assessed using Spearman's correlation, adjusted ordinal regression and chi‐square tests comparing patient type and cost expectations. Result Higher subjective informedness was significantly associated with lower pre‐scan anxiety and remained an independent predictor after adjustment. In contrast, pregnancy complications were linked to higher anxiety levels. Objective expectation‐based informedness was not associated with anxiety on initial analysis. However, when included in an expanded model, it showed a modest positive association, whereas subjective informedness continued to demonstrate a negative association. Additionally, private patients were more likely than public patients to anticipate out‐of‐pocket costs. Conclusion Greater pre‐scan informedness, particularly subjective informedness, was associated with lower maternal anxiety prior to the morphology ultrasound. Strengthening pre‐scan communication may therefore represent a practical strategy to support patient‐centred antenatal imaging care.