- Primary Investigator:
Rebecca Sue Uranga - Primary Location:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center - Grant Type & Year:
Robert Derzon Spring 2008 - Publication:
Publication1
Purpose
Due to the complexity of prenatal screening, researchers are creating a decision aid tool (a DVD and booklet) that can be mailed to patients prior to a first prenatal visit, making it accessible, private and able to be shared with all decision makers. This project aims to provide a decision aid to pregnant women and their families, in order to decrease decisional tension and improve communication between patient and provider. We believe that a DVD format is the most effective communication medium to reach the target audience of all women receiving prenatal care at DHMC.
Findings
The DVD was completed and a focus group provided insight on how it can be more helpful. Originally, the DVD did not include an interview with a patient who chose to terminate pregnancy as a result of her screening results. This is, in part, due to the sensitivity of the subject. We have found a patient willing to be interviewed and once she is filmed, the DVD will go through its final edits. We hope to package the DVD soon.
The goal of the project was to develop a DVD and booklet decision aid kit. Currently, we are designing and producing a booklet to complement the DVD. Also, development of knowledge, attitudes, and belief questions to accompany the pre- and post-video questionnaires are in progress.
Since the DVDs are affordable and easy to produce and package, it may be feasible to mass produce for private providers and clinics to distribute to their patients. Future research may be directed to determine provider satisfaction with this video. We would do this by surveying providers whose patient population has not watched the video and then surveying again after a significant proportion of the patients have watched the video. Through the group’s collaboration with the genetic counseling department, it would also be interesting look at post-screening referrals to see if there is a change in patients presenting after unwanted screening tests before and after implementation of the aid.
