Variation in uptake of serum screening: the role of service delivery

The present study aimed to determine the extent to which variation in the uptake of serum screening for Down syndrome reflects variation in the way the test is offered. A higher uptake of serum screening was seen at hospitals that offered the blood test as part of a routine visit than at those where screening required a separate visit. The type of screening test offered and whether a reminder was sent were not associated with uptake. Given the consensus that undergoing screening should be the result of an informed choice, further research is needed to determine which methods of offering serum screening facilitate and which impede informed choice.