Impact of expanded carrier screening on health care utilization

To evaluate potential consequences of expanded carrier screening (ECS) for reproductive risk on health care utilization among women who are not at increased reproductive risk.

Women planning pregnancy were randomized to usual care carrier screening or ECS to assess reproductive risks. Electronic health record (EHR) data were used to evaluate the effects of ECS on pregnancy-related utilization and general health care utilization among all study participants who did not receive positive ECS results of at least a 25% risk (ie, received negative [normal] ECS results).

EHR data were extracted through research-ready databases and extensive chart review for 304 participants. We analyzed the effect of ECS for women who were not found to be at increased reproductive risk on (1) utilization of mental health services in the period between randomization and initial results disclosure; (2) utilization of general outpatient and inpatient services, specialty services, and mental health-related services in the year following randomization; and (3) utilization and refusal of pregnancy-related services among pregnant women (n = 129) prior to and following randomization.

No significant differences in health care utilization were found between women randomized to receive ECS and those receiving usual care. Women who received negative ECS results did not refuse recommended screening for conditions that are not identified via ECS at a higher rate than women in the usual care arm.

These results suggest that ECS does not have unintended negative impacts on the health care system for the majority of patients who are not at increased reproductive risk.