Patient preference regarding first-trimester aneuploidy risk assessment.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed patient views regarding disclosure of first-trimester Down syndrome risk assessment results compared with withholding results until a single, more accurate second-trimester screening result is available.


METHODS
A prospective, institutional review board-approved, voluntary, anonymous survey was presented to patients with singleton pregnancies who were undergoing first-trimester nuchal translucency and biochemical screening at our institution. Options included immediate (sequential testing) or later disclosure (integrated testing). Descriptions and a comparison of the options were included in the survey.


RESULTS
One hundred one women completed the questionnaires; 69.3% of the patients preferred sequential testing, compared with 30.7% of the patients who were either unsure or preferred integrated testing. Older patients and those patients with better background knowledge of screening tests preferred earlier disclosure of screening results (P = .035 and P = .026, respectively). Patients who preferred earlier disclosure also preferred termination of a Down syndrome pregnancy (P = .013).


CONCLUSIONS
Older patients and those patients with a better understanding of screening tests preferred immediate disclosure of first-trimester risk assessment results; these women were more likely to prefer to terminate an affected pregnancy.
Sharma
Geeta
G
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA. gs655@columbia.edu
Gold
Heather T
HT
Chervenak
Frank A
FA
McCullough
Laurence
L
Alt
Abigail K
AK
Chasen
Stephen T
ST
D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure