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About iQ&A Prenatal Screening

Program Medium
Internet-based program


Method of Physician Participation Utilized in Learning Process

There are no fees for participating and receiving CME credit for this activity. During the period October 4, 2016 through October 4, 2019, participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity, and are expected to view all 84 segments, totaling 3.5 hours, to successfully complete the activity and earn CME credit; 3) register and complete the evaluation form and post-test; 4) score 100% on the post-test; and 5) print out CME certificate.

Estimated Time to Complete Educational Activity

3.5 hours. Physicians must study the enduring activity, and are expected to view every segment to successfully complete the activity and earn CME credit..

Course Overview

In this web-based program, physicians will learn how recent developments in basic and clinical research have helped to advance the understanding of prenatal screening

Release Date

October 4, 2016

Expiration Date

October 4, 2019

Intended Audience

This complimentary CME educational activity is designed for all healthcare providers (HCPs) involved in developing, delivering, consulting, and monitoring care for patients who are or are planning to become pregnant

This constituency of HCPs shall include the following audience:

  • OB/GYNs
  • Women’s health
  • Primary care physicians
  • Internists
  • Fetal medicine specialists
  • Genetic counselors
  • Other related specialists


Registration

Participation in this iQ&A interactive Medical Intelligence Zone is complimentary, and clinicians are invited to view this CME-certified program and/or share this invitation with other colleagues, departmental staff members, and healthcare professionals. 

Grantor Support

This activity is supported by an independent medical education grant from Natera.

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Massachusetts Medical School Office of Continuing Medical Education (UMMS-OCME) and CMEducation Resources, LLC. The UMMS-OCME is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement

The University of Massachusetts Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(s). Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Policy on Faculty & Provider Disclosure

It is the policy of the University of Massachusetts Medical School to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all activities. All faculty participating in CME activities sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Medical School are required to present evidence-based data, identify and reference off-label product use and disclose all relevant financial relationships with those supporting the activity or others whose products or services are discussed. Faculty disclosure will be provided in the activity materials.

Program Faculty and Disclosure

Ahmed M. Al-Malt, MD
Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Orlando, FL

Nothing to disclose

Peter Benn PhD, DSc
Professor
Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences
University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, CT

Consultant: Natera


Errol R. Norwitz, MD, PhD, MBA
Louis E. Phaneuf Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Tufts University School of Medicine
Chairman, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, MA

Consultant/Advisory Boards: Hologic, Natera, Seracare


Mike Ruma, MD, MPH, FACOG
Maternal–Fetal Medicine Specialist
Perinatal Associates of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM

Speaker’s Bureau: Hologic, Inc
Consultant: Natera
Investigator and consultant: Philips, Inc.

Maulik R. Shah, MD, PhD
Medical Director
Genetic Medicine Clinic
Gainesville, Florida
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of Florida School of Medicine
Gainesville, Florida
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida


Nothing to disclose


Program Managers and Web Editor Disclosure

Program Manager Gideon Bosker, MD has nothing to disclose.

Program Reviewer Denise Leary has nothing to disclose.


Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Have a better understanding of the evolution of prenatal diagnosis and screening for chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome;
  • Become more proficient at non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT) using cell-free fetal DNA, and better understand how it integrates into the current paradigms for screening and diagnostic testing for aneuploidy;
  • Become more proficient at understanding the different laboratory techniques used to amplify cell-free DNA; and how the two methods, generally described as the “counting method” and the “SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism)-based testing” differ in their clinical application, limitations, and potential advantages;
  • Become more knowledgeable about the SNP based approach to NIPT, and better understand the advantages this technology offers compared to the “counting method"; and, specifically, how the different methodologies—i.e. the counting method versus that focused on SNP technology—impact the reliability, predictive value, and usefulness of the NIPT results;
  • Become more knowledgeable about and better able to implement current practice guidelines from various professional societies such as ACOG and SMFM regarding the integration of NIPT into clinical practice; including, a clinical roadmap for how, on a practical level, clinicians should utilize NIPT in their practice;
  • Become more knowledgeable about the reasons for rare false positive NIPT results, and the distinct advantages that SNP-based technology offers in resolving the cause of abnormal results, including the presence or absence of maternal mosaicism and vanishing twins?
  • Become more knowledgeable about the advantages of SNP-based technology compared with the counting method when utilizing cell-free DNA to identify women at increased risk to be carrying a fetus with a microdeletion syndrome such as 22q11.; and, for evaluating uniparental disomy (UPD) and triploidy?


Hardware and Software Requirements:

To participate in this program, viewers must have a PC or Macintosh computer that has active, ongoing internet access for the duration of the program, as well as a compatible Flash-viewer. An email address is required for registration, and a printer is required to print out the CME certificate.

Privacy Policy

When you participate in a CME activity offered by CMEducation Resources, we ask you for your name, degree, affiliation, street address, telephone number, fax number, and/or e-mail address (the "Information"). We use that Information in the following ways:

  • We use the Information to grade your post-test and to send you a certificate of completion of the CME activity. If we use a third-party company to grade your post-test and issue certificates of completion, we will give the Information to that company for that purpose only.
  • For each CME activity that you take, you must complete an evaluation questionnaire. That questionnaire asks if you are willing to participate in a follow-up survey. If you answer yes, we will use your name and contact information to send you the survey.
  • We may use the Information to send you information about other CME activities that CMEducation Resources is offering.
  • If our company is acquired by or merged into another company, we may make the Information available to the new owner/entity to use in the ways described above, to enable it to continue our business.
  • You should check this privacy policy periodically to see whether we have made any changes.


Disclaimer

Copyright © 2017 by CMEducation Resources, LLC All rights reserved. 

Reproduction, distribution, or translation without express written permission is strictly prohibited. 

Content on this webcast reflects the opinions, output, and analyses of experts, investigators, educators, and clinicians whose activities for, while independent, are commercially supported by the sponsor noted at the start of each activity. 

Content on this webcast is not meant to be, nor substitute for national guidelines or recommendations generated by professional, academic societies, colleges, or associations. 

Content on this webcast is intended for educational value only. Its contents, analyses, and any recommendation made herein are intended to make scientific information and opinion available to health professionals, to stimulate thought, and further investigation. This webcast is not designed nor is any aspect of the contents here intended to provide advice regarding medical diagnosis or treatment for any individual case. Any decisions regarding diagnosis and/or management of any individual patient or group of patients should be made on individual basis after having consulted appropriate sources, whether they be appropriate consultants and/or guidelines and recommendations issued by national organizations, professional societies, governmental health organizations, or similar bodies. This webcast is not intended for use by the layman. 

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Pharmatecture, LLC, CMEducation Resources, LLC, program supporters or accreditors, but reflect the opinions and analyses of the experts who have authored the material. Mention of products or services does not constitute endorsement. Clinical, legal, financial, and other comments are offered for general guidance only; and professional counsel should be sought for all specific situations.

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ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND FACULTY DISCLOSURES
PRENATAL SCREENING RESOURCES AND CLINICAL TRIALS