216317 A health message testing survey of health care providers on a new recommendation for Lynch syndrome genetic testing

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Sara Bedrosian, BA, BFA , Office of Public Health Genomics, McKing Contractor for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer L. Flome, MPH , Office of Public Health Genomics, McKing Contractor to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Tiebin (Kevin) Liu, MSPH , Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Danna L. Sanders, MPH, CHES , Office of Public Health Genomics, McKing Contractor for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Michele Reyes, PhD, MS , Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Jeanette Lena St. Pierre, MPH, MA , Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
In 2008, the independent Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Working Group, supported by CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics (OPHG), released a recommendation on the validity and utility of genetic testing for Lynch syndrome. In 2009, OPHG developed Web-based materials for health care providers containing summarized information about this recommendation to use in clinical decision-making. OPHG used CDC's new Health Message Testing System to assess health care providers' understanding of and reactions to specific health messages in the Web-based materials. OPHG recruited 27 practicing health care providers from various primary and specialty care groups to test nine health messages (e.g., the EGAPP recommendation statement, messages about Lynch syndrome and clinical context, testing strategies, practice considerations) and gathered information about comprehension; impressions; content and wording; and images. Of the 27 health care providers interviewed, 12 stated that the EGAPP recommendation statement was confusing, unclear, or hard to understand; 18 wanted additional information; and 20 felt the statement could be improved. Regarding the message about testing strategies, 9 health care providers stated that there was something confusing, unclear, or hard to understand; and 19 felt the message could be improved. Some major themes identified by this survey were the need for more data to support the recommendation and the need for guidance on next steps for clinicians. OPHG is currently revising its Web-based materials based on the findings of this health message survey, and plans a usability survey of these Web materials.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics

Learning Objectives:
Assess health care providers’ understanding of and reactions to specific health messages in Web-based materials developed by CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics for health care providers containing summarized information about the EGAPP Working Group's recommendation on Lynch syndrome genetic testing to use in clinical decision-making.

Keywords: Genetics, Cancer Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present this data because I am the managing editor of Human Genome Epidemiology, 2nd edition, just published by Oxford University Press, have participated in the conduct of public health research since 2009, have been employed full time in public health genomics communications since 2007, and have delivered presentations on genomics-related communications for the past 2 years. I am the principal investigator who was involved in the design, development, implementation of the study, as well as the data analysis, and will be one of the authors on the eventual manuscript to be published.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.