The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Prenatal Screening Modality for Singleton Pregnancies in Ontario

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated access to timely prenatal screening. Using the Better Outcome Registry & Network database, screening practices were compared across Ontario for the modality of screening and subdivided based on rurality for the first year of the pandemic.

There was little difference in the proportion of screening modalities across provinces in the first year of the pandemic. However, using a rurality index, there was a pattern of increased use of screening options that did not require ultrasound in rural areas compared to the pre-pandemic period, suggesting an ongoing equity issue for patients in rural Ontario regarding timely prenatal screening.