Table 3: Respondents' opinions on what they disliked about MSS* | ||||||
Group; no. (and %) of respondents | ||||||
Opinion | Family physicians n = 394 | Obstetricians n = 124 | Midwives n = 30 | |||
Has high false-positive rate | 172 | (44) | 60 | (48) | 9 | (30) |
Causes anxiety | 111 | (28) | 30 | (24) | 6 | (20) |
Is complex (hard to explain, hard to understand, difficult to communicate concept of screening test and risk) | 43 | (11) | 12 | (10) | 1 | (3) |
Raises timing issues (is performed late in pregnancy, is arranged in small window of time) | 36 | (9) | 11 | (9) | 3 | (10) |
Is not cost-effective | 36 | (9) | 9 | (7) | 1 | (3) |
Involves extra time to be spent counselling and filling in requisitions | 34 | (9) | 11 | (9) | 0 | |
Raises ethical issues | 37 | (9) | 1 | (1) | 7 | (23) |
Involves increased use of ultrasound | 31 | (8) | 5 | (4) | 4 | (13) |
Has high false-negative rate (gives illusion that negative result means normal baby, detects only 70% of babies with Down syndrome) | 12 | (3) | 3 | (2) | 2 | (7) |
Does not give results soon enough | 7 | (2) | 2 | (2) | 0 | |
Offers inadequate payment for time spent counselling | 8 | (2) | 1 | (1) | 0 | |
Other | 43 | (11) | 22 | (18) | 4 | (13) |
*Multiple responses were possible.
Includes the following: "loss of normal babies with amniocentesis," "too disease oriented" and "increased amniocentesis in women under 35." |