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Roberts MC, Fohner AE, Landry L, Olstad DL, Smit AK, Turbitt E, Allen CG. Advancing precision public health using human genomics: examples from the field and future research opportunities. Genome Med 2021; 13:97. [PMID: 34074326 PMCID: PMC8168000 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00911-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Precision public health is a relatively new field that integrates components of precision medicine, such as human genomics research, with public health concepts to help improve population health. Despite interest in advancing precision public health initiatives using human genomics research, current and future opportunities in this emerging field remain largely undescribed. To that end, we provide examples of promising opportunities and current applications of genomics research within precision public health and outline future directions within five major domains of public health: biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and health services, and social and behavioral science. To further extend applications of genomics within precision public health research, three key cross-cutting challenges will need to be addressed: developing policies that implement precision public health initiatives at multiple levels, improving data integration and developing more rigorous methodologies, and incorporating initiatives that address health equity. Realizing the potential to better integrate human genomics within precision public health will require transdisciplinary efforts that leverage the strengths of both precision medicine and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Roberts
- Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, 301 Pharmacy Lane, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Alison E. Fohner
- Department of Epidemiology and Institute of Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Ave, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Latrice Landry
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital &The Division of Population Sciences in Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215-5450 USA
| | - Dana Lee Olstad
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - Amelia K. Smit
- Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, 119-143 Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050 Australia
| | - Erin Turbitt
- Discipline of Genetic Counselling, The University of Technology Sydney, 100 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2008 Australia
| | - Caitlin G. Allen
- Department of Behavioral Social and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
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Bourdon JL, Dorsey A, Zalik M, Pietka A, Salyer P, Bray MJ, Bierut LJ, Ramsey AT. In-vivo design feedback and perceived utility of a genetically-informed smoking risk tool among current smokers in the community. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:139. [PMID: 34039360 PMCID: PMC8152342 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-00976-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use of genetically-informed personalized risk information for behavioral disorders, namely smoking and smoking-related behaviors, is a promising yet understudied area. The Genetics and Smoking Risk Profile, or RiskProfile, leverages genetic and environmental information to communicate one’s risk for smoking-related diseases. Although prior studies have examined attitudes toward genetic results, little research has investigated these perceptions through a lens of in-vivo testing; that is, user-centered design feedback in response to personalized genetic results being returned contemporaneously. This qualitative study engaged current smokers in usability testing of the RiskProfile within the context of concurrently receiving this personalized, genetically-informed smoking cessation intervention. Methods Eighty-nine participants who were current smokers responded to open-ended interview questions on perceptions of smoking-related genetic information and the content and format of the RiskProfile intervention that they had received moments before. Data were analyzed via the conventional content analysis approach in which themes were allowed to emerge throughout the analysis. Results Participants were able to reference and offer design input on specific elements of the RiskProfile. Overall, current smokers perceived the RiskProfile to have high potential utility. Constructive feedback that current smokers offered about the tool centered around suggested improvements to optimize its usability and technical content. Conclusions The detailed and constructive feedback from participants highlights that in-vivo feedback offers a useful design approach that addresses concerns of rigor and relevance when returning genetic results. This unique method demonstrated perceived utility and constructive design feedback for the RiskProfile among current smokers and can play an important role in optimizing the design and implementation of personalized genetic risk interventions moving forward. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12920-021-00976-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bourdon
- Wellbridge Center for Addiction Treatment and Research, Center for Addiction Science, 525 Jan Way, Room 1523, Calverton, NY, 11922, USA.
| | - Amelia Dorsey
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Maia Zalik
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Amanda Pietka
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Patricia Salyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael J Bray
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura J Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alex T Ramsey
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Allen CG, Peterson S, Khoury MJ, Brody LC, McBride CM. A scoping review of social and behavioral science research to translate genomic discoveries into population health impact. Transl Behav Med 2021; 11:901-911. [PMID: 32902617 PMCID: PMC8240657 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibaa076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, progress toward translating genomic research discoveries to address population health issues has been limited. Several meetings of social and behavioral scientists have outlined priority research areas where advancement of translational research could increase population health benefits of genomic discoveries. In this review, we track the pace of progress, study size and design, and focus of genomics translational research from 2012 to 2018 and its concordance with five social and behavioral science recommended priorities. We conducted a review of the literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Guidelines for Scoping Reviews. Steps involved completing a search in five databases and a hand search of bibliographies of relevant literature. Our search (from 2012 to 2018) yielded 4,538 unique studies; 117 were included in the final analyses. Two coders extracted data including items from the PICOTS framework. Analysis included descriptive statistics to help identify trends in pace, study size and design, and translational priority area. Among the 117 studies included in our final sample, nearly half focused on genomics applications that have evidence to support translation or implementation into practice (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tier 1 applications). Common study designs were cross-sectional (40.2%) and qualitative (24.8%), with average sample sizes of 716 across all studies. Most often, studies addressed public understanding of genetics and genomics (33.3%), risk communication (29.1%), and intervention development and testing of interventions to promote behavior change (19.7%). The number of studies that address social and behavioral science priority areas is extremely limited and the pace of this research continues to lag behind basic science advances. Much of the research identified in this review is descriptive and related to public understanding, risk communication, and intervention development and testing of interventions to promote behavior change. The field has been slow to develop and evaluate public health-friendly interventions and test implementation approaches that could enable health benefits and equitable access to genomic discoveries. As the completion of the human genome approaches its 20th anniversary, full engagement of transdisciplinary efforts to address translation challenges will be required to close this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin G Allen
- Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shenita Peterson
- Woodruff Health Science Center Library, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Muin J Khoury
- Office of Genomics and Precision Public Health, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lawrence C Brody
- Gene and Environment Interaction Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Colleen M McBride
- Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Hekler E, Tiro JA, Hunter CM, Nebeker C. Precision Health: The Role of the Social and Behavioral Sciences in Advancing the Vision. Ann Behav Med 2020; 54:805-826. [PMID: 32338719 PMCID: PMC7646154 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2015, Collins and Varmus articulated a vision for precision medicine emphasizing molecular characterization of illness to identify actionable biomarkers to support individualized treatment. Researchers have argued for a broader conceptualization, precision health. Precision health is an ambitious conceptualization of health, which includes dynamic linkages between research and practice as well as medicine, population health, and public health. The goal is a unified approach to match a full range of promotion, prevention, diagnostic, and treatment interventions to fundamental and actionable determinants of health; to not just address symptoms, but to directly target genetic, biological, environmental, and social and behavioral determinants of health. PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role of social and behavioral sciences within precision health. MAIN BODY Recent technologies, research frameworks, and methods are enabling new approaches to measure, intervene, and conduct social and behavioral science research. These approaches support three opportunities in precision health that the social and behavioral sciences could colead including: (a) developing interventions that continuously "tune" to each person's evolving needs; (b) enhancing and accelerating links between research and practice; and (c) studying mechanisms of change in real-world contexts. There are three challenges for precision health: (a) methods of knowledge organization and curation; (b) ethical conduct of research; and (c) equitable implementation of precision health. CONCLUSIONS Precision health requires active coleadership from social and behavioral scientists. Prior work and evidence firmly demonstrate why the social and behavioral sciences should colead with regard to three opportunity and three challenge areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hekler
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Design Lab, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jasmin A Tiro
- Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Christine M Hunter
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Camille Nebeker
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems, Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Design Lab, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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