Table 2.
The provision of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in antenatal care, n = 475
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
| How NIPT is most commonly offered | |
| Offer a choice between NIPT and combined first trimester screening (CFTS) for patients in the first trimester | 279 (60.3) |
| First-tier screening test for all patients | 88 (19.0) |
| First-tier screening test only for patients with higher chance for aneuploidy | 12 (2.6) |
| Second-tier screening test after combined first-trimester screening (CFTS) | 49 (10.6) |
| Other | 35 (7.6) |
| Gestational age where patients are recommended to undergo NIPT | |
| From 9 weeks on | 20 (4.3) |
| From 10 weeks on | 400 (86.8) |
| From 12 weeks on | 19 (4.1) |
| Other | 22 (4.8) |
| First-trimester ultrasound commonly offered to patients having NIPT as a 1st tier screening test (multiple responses allowed) | |
| 6–8 weeks (dating) | 257 (54.1) |
| 10 weeks (pre-NIPT) | 137 (28.8) |
| 11–13 weeks (early fetal structural survey or concurrently with NIPT) | 409 (86.1) |
| Other | 24 (5.1) |
| Do you offer patients a choice of what to screen for with NIPT | |
| Yes | 245 (53.0) |
| No | 94 (20.3) |
| Sometimes | 79 (17.1) |
| N/A to my role | 44 (9.5) |
| What screening options do you offer patients in addition to trisomies 21, 13, and 18 (multiple responses allowed)a | |
| Sex chromosome aneuploidies | 278 (85.8) |
| Genome-wide NIPT | 93 (28.7) |
| Microdeletions | 102 (31.5) |
| Single gene disorders | 51 (15.7) |
| Other | 18 (5.6) |
| Do you refer your patients to one particular brand of NIPT | |
| Yes | 281 (60.7) |
| No | 125 (27.0) |
| Sometimes | 35 (7.6) |
| N/A to my role | 22 (4.8) |
| Most common reasons for brand choiceb (multiple responses allowed) | |
| Test performance | 137 (28.8) |
| Convenience of blood collection | 128 (26.9) |
| It is the brand of NIPT with the fastest results | 39 (8.2) |
| It is the brand of NIPT that screens for the most things | 36 (7.6) |
| It is the cheapest | 19 (4.0) |
| It is the easiest to organize | 68 (14.3) |
| It is the brand I am most familiar with | 117 (24.6) |
| It is the preferred brand of the clinic I work at | 87 (18.3) |
| It is the brand recommended by colleagues | 49 (10.3) |
| Clinical support offered by the provider/laboratory | 141 (29.7) |
| It is offered by a not-for-profit organization | 49 (10.3) |
| Education support provided by the provider/laboratory | 88 (18.5) |
| Pre-existing relationship with brand/laboratory | 79 (16.6) |
| Other | 47 (9.9) |
| Major barriers to access to NIPT for patients (multiple responses allowed) | |
| Cost to the patient | 447 (94.1) |
| Access to blood drawing services | 29 (6.1) |
| Patients knowing about the option of the test | 150 (31.6) |
| Healthcare professionals offering the test | 127 (26.7) |
| Informed consent process | 107 (22.5) |
| The time needed to explain the test | 101 (21.3) |
| Other | 8 (1.7) |
aOnly asked among those who answered Yes/Sometimes to the question “Do you offer patients a choice of conditions to be screened with NIPT?”; n = 324
bOnly asked among those who answered Yes/Sometimes to the question “Do you usually refer your patients to one particular brand of NIPT?”; n = 316