Screening Programs Prenatal Genetic Screening Program Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing In October 2015, the Ministry of Health approved funding for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for eligible women at high risk for Down syndrome, trisomy 18, or trisomy 13. As of November 2015, pregnant women who meet one of the following three criteria are being provided with the option of NIPT: • has received a positive screen result from IPS, SIPS, or Quad testing; • has had a previous trisomy 13, 18, or 21 pregnancy; or • has a risk of Down syndrome greater than one in 300 based on results of screening and ultrasound marker(s) of aneuploidy. In March 2016, the Prenatal Genetic Screening Program selected Dynacare Next, provider of the Harmony test, through a Request for Proposal process as the sole vendor for funded NIPT for these eligible women. PSBC and Dynacare developed a special lab requisition for ordering funded NIPT, and multiple blood collection sites across all BC health authorities were set up for the Dynacare Harmony test. Women who do not meet the eligibility criteria for funded NIPT but are interested and prepared to cover the cost of self-pay testing (ranging from $495 to $650 depending on the supplier) are encouraged to consult with their health care provider to have their blood drawn at a location offering NIPT. PSBC’s website includes information on both funded and self-pay NIPT options.
Patient Pamphlets
PSBC updated two patient pamphlets, Prenatal Genetic Screening: It’s Your Choice and A Screen Positive Result: What does it mean and what do I do now? They were previously available in English and six other languages. The new versions were also translated into Arabic and Persian.
Newborn Screening Program An online training module is in development for all BC lab staff as a quality improvement initiative to reduce errors in completing blood spot cards, thus improving the quality in screening and reducing the need for re-collections. The training module is expected to be available through health authority online learning hubs later in 2016.
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disorders screened
A business proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Health to enhance the newborn disease panel to include three new conditions, which will then meet the national standard recently established for newborn screening across Canada.
Biliary Atresia Home Screening Program 84,000
stool colour cards ordered by hospitals
Perinatal Services BC continues to provide ongoing education to health care providers and parents about the Biliary Atresia Home Screening Program for newborns.
Annual Report 2015/16
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