This case study describes how the team in Newcastle working on the Health Foundation’s MAGIC programme to implement shared decision making developed a new approach to supporting pregnant women to decide whether or not to have a screening test for Down’s syndrome.

The obstetrics team at Newcastle Hospitals wanted to develop a support tool to help women and their partners decide whether to have this test that can detect an increased risk of Down’s syndrome. The tool was intended to help people consider the possible consequences of a positive screening test and address the high proportion of women choosing to undergo the screening test compared to the national average.

The case study describes how the tool was developed, piloted and refined, the impact of the tool and key learning. It includes a full copy of the decision support tool itself that was developed.