MORE INFO ON COMMUNICATING REPRODUCTION OPTIONS

Provide clear, easy to understand information of complex genetic techniques and normal anatomic changes in pregnancy is a physician literacy skill. Despite the challenge of learning the jargon and concepts, consider how you would discuss this with someone who is a physicist, an engineer or an administrative aide. Getting at the right place where you and the patient are on the same page is an incredibly important skill to work on. This right place might feel too reductionistic or be too 'cartoony' - so it is not the 'right place' for you, rather it is the 'right place' for you patient.

Below is an example of a clear, user friendly tool that is called a decision support instrument. Click on the caption to see the whole tool at the site.


http://www.panastream.com/_internal/pdfs/PTP_decisionsupport.pdf



Click on the picture above to enlarge

CVS, AMNIO FISH and PCR  - For more visuals
Here's a picture of a chorionic villus (which when sampling becomes the 'S' of CVS)

Here's a nice example of the use of FISH and PCR (you may have to register your name to watch the short video, but it's worth it!)  click here 

  
Here's a patient information sheet on CVS from Medline

And here is an interactive tutorial on AMNIOCENTESIS

I mentioned in class, the image of the nuchal translucency (you can get to it from here)