Online Program

322902
Provision of Genetic Testing and Counseling Services in American Hospitals


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.

Nelson Atehortua De la Pena, PhD MPH MS, Department of Public and Community Health, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
Amalia M. Issa, PhD, MPH, Chair & Professor, Department of Health Policy and Public Health & Director, Program in Personalized Medicine & Targeted Therapeutics, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Introduction: Provision of genetic testing and counseling services (GT-GC) is facilitated by the adoption of clinical guidelines but limited by health insurance coverage and reimbursement policies. There is limited knowledge about the organizational factors influencing the provision of GT-GC among American hospitals.

Methods: The 2012 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey database was used to identify organizational factors associated with the provision of GT-GC. A logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the likelihood of the provision of GT-GC. Descriptive and inferential analyses were computed and reported using SPSS™ v22.

Results: We used data from 5,328 US hospitals. General factors associated with the provision of GT-GC were hospital location and ownership. The logistic regression model showed that organizational factors such as the provision of technology-intensive clinical services; radiotherapy (OR 3.88;CI 2.68-5.66), transplant (OR 3.04; CI 2.23-4.14), oncology (OR 2.32; CI 1.08-5.00), Alzheimer’s Center (OR 1.78; CI 1.24-2.55); along with the availability of trained personnel (Nurse-to-bed ratio OR 1.27; CI 1.01-1.59) were strongly associated with the provision of GT-GC services. Provision of GT-GC was, however, independent of the teaching status of the hospital and there were no significant differences between adult and pediatric hospitals.

Conclusions: This study shows the strength of the association between the availability of technology-intensive clinical services and skilled personnel with the provision of GT-GC services beyond those factors traditionally analyzed. Strengthening technological and personnel infrastructure along with improvements in health policies are key to fostering the provision of genetic testing and counseling services.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify key organizational factors among American hospitals conducive to the provision of genetic testing and counseling services Describe how public health professionals can use the information provided to deliver relevant interventions related to the adoption and use of genetic and genomic diagnostics in populations Discuss the importance of incorporating information provided by genetic and genomic diagnostics into regular clinical practice

Keyword(s): Genetics, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a relevant professional and academic background and experience and have been researcher and presenter in the past.
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.