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Women's choice for Down's screening--a comparative experience in three district general hospitals
Narasimhan Shantha1, Kath Granger, Puneet Arora
1Salford Royal Foundation Hospitals, UK. shantha10uk@yahoo.co.uk
Summary
Most women declined Down's syndrome screening, despite being well-informed. Uptake varied significantly between hospitals, with overall acceptance rates lower than previously reported, necessitating consideration for future screening recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Prenatal Diagnostics
- Public Health
Background:
- Down's syndrome screening is a crucial component of prenatal care.
- Understanding women's decision-making regarding screening is essential for optimizing uptake.
- Variations in screening uptake between healthcare facilities warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess women's knowledge and understanding of Down's syndrome screening.
- To compare the uptake of Down's syndrome screening across three local hospitals.
- To identify reasons for non-acceptance of screening.
Main Methods:
- Anonymised questionnaires administered to women attending 20-week anomaly scans.
- Data collected over a 6-month period.
- Statistical analysis using Pearson's Chi squared test and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- High response rate (97%) with 744 questionnaires returned.
- Over 95% of women were satisfied with the information provided.
- Overall screening acceptance was 28%, with significant differences between hospitals (20% vs. 33%, p<0.05).
- Reasons for declining screening included not wanting the test (50%), not considering termination (16.7%), and perceived low risk (12%).
Conclusions:
- The majority of women opted against Down's syndrome screening, indicating a personal choice.
- Significant disparities in screening uptake exist between hospitals within the same trust.
- Current screening uptake is lower than reported in prior studies, impacting the implementation of national guidelines.
