 | AmnioDexCardiff University has been funded by the Sir Hally Stewart Trust to carry out a needs assessment, development and evaluation of patient decision support for women facing amniocentesis.AimAmnioDex is a decision support intervention designed for women faced with the decision of whether to undergo amniocentesis. The aim of the study is to carry out a needs assessment, development and evaluation of a patient decision support intervention for pregnant women thinking about undertaking amniocentesis. BackgroundAny pregnant woman undertaking prenatal screening for Down’s syndrome may have to decide about amniocentesis and face the consequences this might have on her pregnancy, life and family. The decision to undertake the procedure is often difficult and one that requires significant information about harms and benefits. It is a decision that has to be made in a short time frame, yet has life and death implications that have to be weighed up at a time of considerable emotional upheaval. It is, in short, one of the most difficult decisions for women and their relatives to consider. About the studyInitial research included a stakeholder analysis involving interviews with healthcare professionals, followed by a interviews with women who have considered undertaking amniocentesis testing to gain a user perspective. This informed the prototype development of Amniodex which was tested on a small sample of women recruited after positive screening test results. The site is now public and provides an invaluable resource available to pregnant women thinking about undertaking amniocentesis. The site was recently awarded the ‘Best of Show’ and the ‘Gold Award’ at the 2009 Health and Science Communications Association (HeSCA) Media Festival held in St Louis, USA. PublicationsRelated DocumentsLetter of support from West Midlands Strategic Health Authority Letter of support from the Down's Association |
