Participation rates of Ashkenazi Jews in a colon cancer community-based screening/prevention study

Should pretest genetic counselling be required for patients pursuing genomic sequencing? Results from a survey of participants in a large genomic implementation study

PURPOSE

We assessed the decision-making of individuals pursuing genomic sequencing without a requirement for pretest genetic counselling. We sought to describe the extent to which individuals who decline genetic counselling reported decisional conflict or struggled to make a decision to pursue genomic testing.

METHODS

We administered a 100-item survey to 3037 individuals who consented to the Return of Actionable Variants Empirical study, a genomic medicine implementation study supported by the National Institutes of Health (USA) eMERGE consortium. The primary outcomes of interest were self-reported decisional conflict about the decision to participate in the study and time required to reach a decision.

RESULTS

We received 2895 completed surveys (response rate=95.3%), and of these respondents 97.8% completed the decisional conflict scale in its entirety. A majority of individuals (63%) had minimal or no decisional conflict about the pursuit of genomic sequencing and were able to reach a decision quickly (78%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified several characteristics associated with decisional conflict, including lower education, lower health literacy, lower self-efficacy in coping, lack of prior experience with genetic testing, not discussing study participation with a family member or friend, and being male.

CONCLUSION

As genomic sequencing is used more widely, genetic counselling resources may not be sufficient to meet demand. Our results challenge the notion that all individuals need genetic counselling in order to make an informed decision about genomic sequencing.

Predictors of genetic testing decisions: a systematic review and critique of the literature

Genetic testing is increasingly available in medical settings and direct-to-consumer. However, the large and growing literature on genetic testing decisions is rife with conflicting findings, inconsistent methodology, and uneven attention across test types and across predictors of genetic testing decisions. Existing reviews of the literature draw broad conclusions but sacrifice nuanced analysis that with a closer look reveals far more inconsistency than homogeny across studies. The goals of this paper are to provide a systematic review of the empirical work on predictors of genetic testing decisions, highlight areas of consistency and inconsistency, and suggest productive directions for future research. We included all studies that provided quantitative analysis of subjective (e.g., perceived risk, perceived benefits of testing) and/or objective (e.g., family history, sociodemographic variables) predictors of genetic testing interest, intentions, or uptake, which produced a sample of 115 studies. From this review, we conclude that self-reported and test-related (as opposed to disorder-related or objective) predictors are relatively consistent across studies but that theoretically-driven efforts to examine testing interest across test types are sorely needed.

Acceptance of flexible sigmoidoscopy as a screening examination for colorectal cancer in an outpatient clinic

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) is a feasible examination technique and a suitable tool for population-based screening, but very little is known about determinants of endoscopic screening participation. The aim of this study was to determine the acceptance rate and the factors influencing the decision of participating in a screening program for patients in an outpatient clinic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective study, a colorectal cancer screening by FS was offered to 631 patients older than 40 years. Three strategies were available, (1) to have the endoscopy on the same day, (2) to make an appointment for another day, or (3) to take time to think about if they wanted the procedure. The reasons for refusal of the FS were documented.

RESULTS

419 of the 631 (66.4%) patients had no interest to take part in the screening program during their outpatient visit. Two hundred twelve (33.6%) patients were primarily interested on FS, but only 110 of them were finally examined. In total, 102 patients did not make an appointment for FS or did not appear for the endoscopy. The participation rate was therefore 17.4% (110/631) of all patients. Of the patients who agreed to receive an on-site examination, 78.3% were examined compared to 18.8% of patients who fixed the appointment for another day or after taking time to reflect upon the FS procedure. More male than female patients accepted the FS screening. Recommended colonoscopy was finally performed in 76%. Thirty-three polyps were found during the screening program of which 18 were larger than 0.5 cm. No CRC was detected. All patients agreed to repeat the FS every 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that a screening examination will be most likely performed if it is done as an on-site examination. In contrast, the participation rate is low if the patient has to make an appointment by himself. Acceptance of FS screening is also dependent on the patient's gender and family history of cancer. Additional strategies are needed to further improve participation.

Genetic susceptibility testing from a stress and coping perspective

Four theories of health behavior and of stress and coping are reviewed for their ability to illuminate interest in uptake and outcomes of genetic testing for adult-onset diseases. These theories are the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Common Sense Model of Self-regulation (CSM), and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC). Basic concepts of each theory are discussed, followed by evidence from the literature supporting the relevance of these concepts to the understanding of genetic testing for four adult-onset diseases: Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hereditary breast/ovarian cancer, and hereditary colorectal cancer. Emphasis is placed on the finding that a decision to undergo genetic testing may be considered as a way to cope with both the cognitive and affective concerns that arise from living at increased risk of developing a disease in the future. The potential value of genetic testing for reducing uncertainty about and gaining a sense of control over one's risk of developing a chronic disease is highlighted. We argue that theories which focus on stress and coping provide a useful framework for future studies of genetic testing decisions for adult-onset disease risk.

Consent for genetics studies among clinical trial participants: findings from Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD)

BACKGROUND

Increasingly, genetic specimens are collected to expand the value of clinical trials through study of genetic effects on disease incidence, progression or response to interventions.

PURPOSE

and methods We describe the experience obtaining IRB-approved DNA consent forms across the 19 institutions in the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD), a clinical trial examining the effect of a lifestyle intervention for weight loss on the risk of serious cardiovascular events among individuals with type 2 diabetes. We document the rates participants provided consent for DNA research, identify participant characteristics associated with consent, and discuss implications for genetics research.

RESULTS

IRB approval to participate was obtained from 17 of 19 institutions. The overall rate of consent was 89.6% among the 15 institutions that had completed consenting at the time of our analysis, which was higher than reported for other types of cohort studies. Consent rates were associated with factors expected to be associated with weight loss and cardiovascular disease and to affect the distribution of candidate genes. Non-consent occurred more frequently among participants grouped as African-American, Hispanic, female, more highly educated or not dyslipidemic.

LIMITATIONS

The generalizabilty of results is limited by the inclusion/exclusion criteria of the trial.

CONCLUSIONS

Barriers to obtaining consent to participate in genetic studies may differ from other recruitment settings. Because of the potentially complex associations between personal characteristics related to adherence, outcomes and gene distributions, differential rates of consent may introduce biases in estimates of genetic relationships.

Ethical Issues Associated with Conducting Genetic Family Studies of Complex Disease

PURPOSE

To examine subjects' recognition of the risks and ethical issues associated with enrollment in genetic family studies (GFS) and explore how this recognition affects their informed and voluntary participation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design including both quantitative and qualitative data was employed. Structured interviews using the Contextual Assessment Approach Questionnaire (CAA-Q) were conducted with 246 Mexican American (MA) participants. To gain in-depth understanding of questionnaire responses, semi-structured interviews with 30 participants were conducted. All participants were interviewed before their enrollment in the Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND).

RESULTS

Subjects' average age was 56 years; 62% were females. Seventy-eight percent of participants were not formally educated beyond high school and 72% reported an annual household income of < or =20,000 dollars. Eighty-five percent agreed to provide researchers with information on relatives' ages, gender, and education. Sixty-five percent of participants were willing to provide identifiable information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers of relatives. Sixty-three percent of participants indicated that there were direct benefits (i.e., supporting research) to disclosing relatives' information. Seventy-six percent stated that there were no risks associated with participation in GFS (e.g., discrimination or confidentiality of genetic information) compared with 10% who said that there were such risks. While discussing potential risks, subjects did not consider these to influence their decision to participate.

CONCLUSIONS

Subjects enrolled in GFS did not recognize and tended to underestimate the social and cultural risks associated with their participation in GFS. If subjects do not fully comprehend the risks, this raises questions concerning their ability to provide informed consent and to voluntarily participate. We propose a subject-centered approach that views enrollment as an active process in which subjects and recruiters give and receive information on risks and ethical issues related to participation, which enhances protection of the rights and welfare of subjects participating in GFS.

Prevalence of Jews as subjects in genetic research: figures, explanation, and potential implications

Geneticists' view of 'population isolates' as bearing special utility for research often translates into the targeting of such groups as study populations. This paper aims to outline the prevalence and structure of reference to one such group-that of the Jews-in genetic research publications. The paper uses three prevalence scores, calculated on the basis of a search of the PubMed database, conducted in September-October 2002. A systematic comparison to other population groups shows that in relation to the population size and in relation to the general bioscientific reference to this group, Jews are over-represented in human genetic literature, particularly in mutation-related contexts. This pattern is interpreted as representing geneticists' interest in Jewish communities, which are comparatively endogamous yet sizeable. It is also attributed to geneticists' access to Jewish communities, which is facilitated by the participation of Jewish scientists that alleviates ethical concerns as well. The geographical proximity of the largest Jewish communities to major research centers, and previous acquaintance with the genetic paradigm that many Jewish persons possess, further enhance this trend. The paper ends by pointing at potential extra-medical implications of this increased prevalence.