An Interactive Informed Consent and Education Program for Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an interactive education program for prenatal testing is effective in improving pregnant women's understanding of and expectations towards prenatal screening and diagnosis.

Women face a variety of medical decisions during pregnancy and childbirth. While there are extensive educational resources for pregnant women, modern medicine presents decisions that many women are poorly equipped to make. Issues such as prenatal screening and mode of birth after a cesarean delivery require a significant degree of patient education to enable a truly informed medical decision. Studies have shown that women have a poor understanding of screening for birth defects and mode of birth after a cesarean delivery. Women with a low level of education or poor health literacy are significantly more likely to demonstrate inadequate understanding of prenatal screening. ArchieMD, Inc. has developed a comprehensive interactive medical simulation environment which has the potential to visually convey complex information to patients to improve understanding of medical procedures and educate patients on the consequences of their behavior. We hypothesize that such an interactive medical simulation patient education program can improve patient understanding allowing pregnant women to make informed decisions. In Phase I, we will prototype an interactive patient education program for prenatal screening and amniocentesis.

In addition to standard care, the experimental arm will receive an interactive video designed to inform and educate patients about the choices that exist concerning prenatal screening and diagnosis.

Open-ended and T/F questionnaire designed to determine if the ArchieMD Interactive Informed Consent and Education Program for Pregnant Women improves understanding and expectations of prenatal screening and diagnostic tests in a group of pregnant women patients.

The eHEALS is a self-report tool that can be administered by a health professional and is based on an individual's perception of her or his own skills and knowledge within each measured domain. The instrument is designed to provide a general estimate of consumer eHealth-related skills that can be used to inform clinical decision making and health promotion planning with individuals or specific populations.

Multiple-choice questionnaire designed to determine if the ArchieMD Interactive Informed Consent and Education Program for Pregnant Women enhances satisfaction with and attitudes toward the patient education process.

The REALM (Rapid Estimate of Adult Health Literacy in Medicine) is a word recognition test designed to provide a valid and quick assessment of participant health literacy.

Inclusion Criteria: Pregnant woman (6-26 weeks gestation) Over 18 years of age Exclusion Criteria: Non-English speaking