Italy moves to address prenatal diagnostics failings
This article was originally published in Clinica
The Italian government has acknowledged the need to significantly improve the quality, speed and level of access to routine prenatal diagnostics services. A summary of the key issues stemming from a 2007 report on the situation has been published by the health ministry ahead of the March 6 meeting of the "state-regions conference".
The "often inadequate or insufficient provision" of prenatal diagnostic services requires that the number of facilities and the technologies provided are updated, so as to "improve the appropriateness of the testing", says the health ministry. This is one of five action points that provide the basis for what the ministry hopes will result in an agreement with the regional health authorities on how to improve the services.