Understanding the experiences and perspectives of prenatal screening among a diverse cohort

Rapid advances in prenatal genetic screening technology make it difficult for providers to deliver adequate prenatal counseling. The aim of this study was to understand how prenatal screening educational approaches can meet the needs of patients.

Qualitative content analysis was conducted on a diverse population who were interviewed to explore their perceived experiences and preferences for prenatal screening educational delivery.

Twenty-two women from three US sites were interviewed. Participants were racially/ethnically diverse with 22.7% identifying as Black or African American (n = 5), 40.9% as Hispanic (n = 9), and 4.5% as Pacific Islander (n = 1). Four themes were identified: prenatal screening education, prenatal screening decision-making, return of results, and suggestions for creating a decision aid. Most results were consistent with previous research not targeting a diverse population.

Our results indicate that learning style preferences vary between patients and that current methods are not consistently satisfying patient's desire for understanding, particularly with 'high-risk' results, suggesting that a standardized tool could improve knowledge and decrease decisional conflict. This diverse cohort suggested a list and description of each of the testing options offered, information about each condition being screened for, a timeline for the testing and return of results, costs associated, and non-technical language.