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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Susan Letvak, PhD, RN¹, L. Louise Ivanov, PhD, RN¹, Debra Wallace, PhD, RN², D. Spoon, MS³, V. Henrich, PhD³, J. Vance, PhD, MD⁴, Pamela Lietz, MS⁵, and Margaret Pericak-Vance, PhD⁴. (1) School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402, (2) School of Nursing, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, 336-256-0572, dcwallac@uncg.edu, (3) UNC Greensboro, 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402, (4) Duke University, Box 2903, Durham, NC 27710, (5) Moses Cone Health Care System, 1200 N. Elm St, Greensboro, NC 27401

Genomic medicine is increasingly used in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases and may present unique human rights challenges. Public Health Nurses must educate healthcare consumers on the health benefits of genomic medicine and advocate against potential discrimination and human rights abuses. The purposes of the study were to explore community perceptions of genomic medicine and to determine the best means for providing broad based community genomic education. A focus group methodology was used. Thirteen focus groups representative of community demographics were conducted (121 participants). Atlas TI software was used for management of the data, coding, and assistance with content analysis. Participants ranged in age from young adults to retired senior citizens, and were 55% female, 65% White, and 29% African American. Findings include: Most had not heard the term “genomic medicine.” Among those who recognized the term, most had heard about it in the media or in biology class. Knowledge of genetics was obtained from news and media reports and centered on issues such as stem cell research and cloning. Participants raised human rights concerns that included discrimination and access to genomic medicine. The community's awareness of genomic medicine is being directed by the media. Large scale community education is imperative for the public to make informed choices and to direct their own health care decisions. Specific recommendations for providing community education on genomic medicine that is sensitive to age, ethnicity, socioeconomic levels, and human rights will be presented.

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