Primary Care Physicians’ Awareness, Experience and Opinions of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

• Published in: Journal of genetic counseling 2012-02, Vol.21 (1), p.113-126
• Main Authors: Powell, Karen P., Cogswell, Whitney A., Christianson, Carol A., Dave, Gaurav, Verma, Amit, Eubanks, Sonja, Henrich, Vincent C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Attitude of Health Personnel; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Clinical Psychology; Direct‐to‐consumer; Doctors; Ethics; Female; Genetic Counseling - methods; Genetic Counseling - statistics & numerical data; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic screening; Genetic susceptibility; Genetic testing; Genetic Testing - methods; Genetic Testing - statistics & numerical data; Genetics in primary care; Gynecology; Human Genetics; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Middle Aged; North Carolina - epidemiology; Original Research; Patient Education as Topic - statistics & numerical data; Personalized medicine; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians; Physicians, Primary Care - statistics & numerical data; Preparedness; Primary care; Primary care providers; Primary health care; Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Public Health; Sex Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1059-7700; 1573-3599
• DOI: 10.1007/s10897-011-9390-9

The purpose of this study was to assess primary care physicians’ awareness, experience, opinions and preparedness to answer patients’ questions regarding direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing. An anonymous survey was mailed to 2,402 family and internal medicine providers in North Carolina. Of the 382 respondents, 38.7% ( n  = 148) were aware of and 15% ( n  = 59) felt prepared to answer questions about DTC genetic tests. Respondents aged 50 or older were more likely to be aware of DTC genetic testing than those less than 40 years old ( OR  = 2.42). Male providers were more likely to feel prepared to answer questions than female providers ( OR  = 2.65). Among respondents who reportedly were aware, family practitioners were more likely than internists ( OR  = 3.30) to think DTC testing was clinically useful, and 18.9% had patients ask questions or bring in test results. The small percent of physicians who were aware of DTC genetic testing or felt prepared to answer questions about it suggests that education of providers will be necessary if testing becomes more widespread.