Qualitative Interview Study of the Role of Patents in the Development and Delivery of Non-invasive Prenatal Diagnosis, 2014-2019

These qualitative interviews explore the influence of patents on practice at a ‘micro’ level, that is, how patents and beliefs about patents influence the practice of those who are actually involved in translational research. The focus of this research is on the behaviour and motivations of individuals, but it also investigated the institutional and cultural context which underlies that behaviour. Interviewees were selected on the basis of their role in the four phases of translation in NIPT and included senior researchers; legal counsel and managers of commercial testing providers; laboratory managers; clinical geneticists and obstetricians; technology transfer professionals; and health service managers. Interviews sought to elicit day-to-day practice as well as exploring motivations and reasons for particular behaviour and interviews were conducted according to an interview schedule which covered core areas for all interviews, and areas specific to the profession of the expert interviewee. Interviews were transcribed by a professional transcriber.