Impact of decision-making in a multidisciplinary perinatal team

• Published in: Prenatal diagnosis 2007-02, Vol.27 (2), p.97-103
• Main Authors: Bijma, Hilmar H., Van der Heide, Agnes, Wildschut, Hajo I. J., Van der Maas, Paul J., Wladimiroff, Juriy W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Consensus; Decision Making; Delivery of Health Care; end-of-life decisions; Female; fetal anomalies; Fetal Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Fetal Diseases - therapy; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Interprofessional Relations; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; Medical sciences; multidisciplinary decision-making; Patient Care Team; Perinatal Care; perinatal management; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Terminal Care; Ultrasonography; ultrasound diagnosis
• ISSN: 0197-3851; 1097-0223
• DOI: 10.1002/pd.1598

Objectives (1) To describe the characteristics of decision‐making about management of unborn infants with serious anomalies by a multidisciplinary perinatal team. (2) To evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary team discussions on the degree to which decisions about the management of unborn infants with serious anomalies are supported. (3) To evaluate the impact of the team discussions on the arguments used by physicians for their preferences concerning management. Methods Prospective analysis of 78 cases discussed within the multidisciplinary perinatal team of a tertiary centre by means of an anonymous one‐page questionnaire with structured questions pertaining to the opinion of the responder on medical management of each case. Results We did not find systematic differences between specialties prior to the discussion of cases. However, discussion with the multidisciplinary perinatal team improved decision‐making about management of unborn infants with serious anomalies by enhancing the degree of support for the decisions taken. The discussions of the team did not change the physicians' arguments mentioned for their preferences. Conclusion Multidisciplinary team discussions improve decision‐making about management of unborn infants with serious congenital anomalies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.