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The development of a CD-ROM: an aid to fetal cardiac diagnosis and counseling
Kalhara Caldera1, Derrick Ha, Samuel Menahem
1Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
A new educational CD-ROM was developed to help parents understand fetal congenital heart defects (CHD). The resource was well-received, supplementing existing medical information and easing parental stress.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Prenatal Diagnosis
Background:
- Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) via obstetric ultrasound causes significant parental stress.
- Effective communication and accessible information are crucial for supporting parents facing fetal CHD diagnoses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and pilot an educational CD-ROM for parents receiving a fetal diagnosis of congenital heart defect (CHD).
- To assess the usability and helpfulness of the CD-ROM in supplementing existing medical information.
Main Methods:
- A CD-ROM was created with text and cartoon illustrations detailing normal heart anatomy and five common CHDs.
- The CD-ROM included information on interventions and outcomes.
- A pilot study involved distributing the CD-ROM to parents after diagnosis and counseling, but before birth, with subsequent evaluation via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- The CD-ROM was successfully developed and distributed to 20 parents, with 14 providing feedback.
- Feedback was favorable, with parents finding the CD-ROM informative and easy to understand.
- The visual aids, particularly the diagrams, were highlighted as particularly helpful.
Conclusions:
- An educational CD-ROM on fetal cardiac abnormalities was successfully created and positively received by parents.
- The resource effectively complemented information provided during prenatal counseling.
- Future development should incorporate parental suggestions and expand content to include more abnormalities for broader applicability.
Objective:
Obstetric ultrasound allows for the fetal diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease, which once diagnosed is especially stressful for the affected parents. This study aimed to develop and pilot an educational CD-ROM for parents who had a fetal diagnosis of a congenital heart defect (CHD).
Material And Methods:
A CD-ROM was developed which included a brief description of a normal heart in text and cartoons, followed by one of five congenital heart abnormalities (again described in text and illustrated by cartoons highlighting the anatomy), the likely interventions (surgical or by catheter), and the local outcomes. A pilot study was conducted whereby parents were provided with the CD-ROM and asked to complete a brief evaluation following the fetal diagnosis of a suspected CHD and subsequent to counseling by the pediatric cardiologist, but prior to the birth of the infant. The CD-ROM was to be viewed at the parents' convenience. The questionnaire was returned via postal mail.
Results:
A CD-ROM covering five common congenital heart abnormalities was successfully developed and distributed to 20 parents. Fourteen responses were received. The feedback was favorable. The parents found the CD-ROM to be informative and easily understood and supplemented the information previously provided by the pediatric cardiologist. The diagrams were particularly helpful.
Conclusion:
An educational CD-ROM describing a cardiac abnormality of a fetus was successfully created and favorably received, complementing the earlier counseling given. Further development of the CD-ROM with modifications highlighting parental suggestions and to include other abnormalities will allow for a wider audience.
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