The field of prenatal diagnosis rapidly evolves, and new technologies for screening, diagnosis and fetal care are regularly introduced by both academic entities and commercial entities. ISPD recognizes that given the expertise of its membership and leadership (Board of Directors, Special Interest Groups, and Committees) in this field, it has a responsibility to communicate opinions, rapid communications, and position statements, and on occasion other special communications on topics that are of relevance to its various stakeholders.
**NEW** Issued 18 May 2022 Updated Position Statement on the use of genome-wide sequencing for prenatal diagnosis Issued 5 October 2020 Position Statement on Cell free (cf)DNA screening for Down syndrome in multiple pregnancies
Issued 8 April 2015 Position Statement from the Chromosome Abnormality Screening Committee on Behalf of the ISPD Board of Directors
Depending on the nature, urgency or priority, impact on stakeholders, and existing evidence for the question to be addressed, ISPD may release different types of documents. Each type of document will be prefaced by a disclaimer that explains the communication type, scope, and intended use by stakeholders.
ISPD will currently focus on the output of the following documents:
Position statements will represent the official viewpoint or stance of the ISPD, represented by its board of directors, on issues/topics affecting the field of prenatal diagnosis and therapy. Read more...
Opinions are written to communicate the opinion (expert consensus) of the ISPD, represented by its board of directors, one or more of its committees or its special interest groups (SIGs), with as goal to offer guidance for stakeholders on emerging issues affecting the field of prenatal diagnosis. Read more...
All opinions of SIGs or committees are vetted and approved by the Board of Directors prior to publication. They will be dated and reviewed at least every two years for accuracy, timeliness, and applicability, or sooner if there have been significant changes in practice that require revision of its content. They may be updated, re-affirmed or retired after review. Where applicable, these statements will be developed after a thorough review and evaluation process of existing literature and other evidence, but they are shorter and less comprehensive than clinical practice guidelines and are not intended to direct practice of individual providers. They are also not intended as guidance documents for healthcare payors as evidence to allow or deny payment for services.
Note: A position statement carries more weight than an opinion and sends a stronger message about the ISPD’s official position on a specific topic.
Rapid response communications are short scientific statements (no more than about 1page) in response to a time-sensitive clinical issue or technology and implementation for which immediate commentary by the ISPD will be deemed of great benefit to its members and other stakeholders. Read more...
These may include responses to rapid introduction of a newly developed technology or new clinical information that requires urgent clarification or interpretation. Rapid communications will be dated and reviewed every six months for timeliness, and applicability. They may be updated, re-affirmed or retired after review, and may be replaced by a formal opinion, position statement, or practice guidance. Rapid communications are typically not based on extensive review of existing evidence, as evidence may be limited. They are not clinical practice guidelines and are not intended to direct practice of individual providers. They are also not intended as guidance documents for healthcare payors as evidence to allow or deny payment for services.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPERATIONS OF THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
The Professional Communications Committee (PCC) is the primary committee responsible for the process of development and dissemination of professional documents. The PCC works closely with and reports to the Board of Directors, as outlined in the terms of reference of the PCC.
DISSEMINATION OF ISPD PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
All professional documents produced by the ISPD will be disseminated and communicated through the ISPD’s journal Prenatal Diagnosis under Open Access Policy. The ISPD website will list all titles and host direct links to the articles in Prenatal Diagnosis. The ISPD and the Journal will alert members and stakeholders about their publication through usual communication modalities, including e-mail, website listing, social media posting, etc. It is expected that when cited by others, they will be cited as Prenatal Diagnosis articles using the journal’s citation format. Standard journal copyright restrictions will apply to these published professional documents. They may not be reproduced in any language without appropriate permission by the Journal on behalf of the ISPD.