This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Geller, G. Articles by Holtzman, N. A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Geller, G. Articles by Holtzman, N. A. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

A Qualitative Assessment of Primary Care Physicians' Perceptions about the Ethical and Social Implications of Offering Genetic Testing

Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Hygiene and Public Health

Neil A. Holtzman

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health

Due to the increasing likelihood that new genetic tests will be incorporated into primary care, we investigated the preparedness of primary care physicians to offer such tests. As a follow-up to a national survey of physicians' knowledge and attitudes regarding genetics, we conducted five focus groups with a total of 39 survey respondents from 5 specialties and 4 states. Semi-structured questions were used to generate and guide discussion about participants' perceptions of (a) ethical obligations regarding genetic decision making and (b) barriers to widespread genetic testing. This article describes those perceptions. Participants believed that the goals of full disclosure and non-directiveness in genetic counseling were neither possible to achieve nor desirable in primary care. There were consistent gender differences, with female physicians reportedly deferring to patients in decision making more often than males. Participants seemed aware of the costs of genetic tests and the social risks to patients of disclosing confidential genetic information to insurance companies. Results have implications for the training of primary care providers.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Lumbreras, M. Porta, and I. Hernandez-Aguado Assessing the social meaning, value and implications of research in genomics J. Epidemiol. Community Health, September 1, 2007; 61(9): 755 - 756. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Hudon, M.-D. Beaulieu, and D. Roberge Integration of the recommendations of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Obstacles perceived by a group of family physicians Fam. Pract., February 1, 2004; 21(1): 11 - 17. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N Qureshi, R Hapgood, and S Armstrong Continuous medical education approaches for clinical genetics: a postal survey of general practitioners J. Med. Genet., November 1, 2002; 39(11): e69 - 69. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Gollust, S. C. Hull, and B. S. Wilfond Limitations of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for Clinical Genetic Testing JAMA, October 9, 2002; 288(14): 1762 - 1767. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. L Twohig and W. Putnam Group interviews in primary care research: advancing the state of the art or ritualized research? Fam. Pract., June 1, 2002; 19(3): 278 - 284. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Anderson Nondirectiveness in Prenatal Genetics: patients read between the lines Nursing Ethics, March 1, 1999; 6(2): 126 - 136. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. G. Garcia, R. J. Froehlich, B. Cartwright, D. Letiecq, L. E. Forrester, and R. O. Mueller Ethical Dilemmas Related to Counseling Clients Living with HIV/AIDS Rehabil Couns Bull, January 1, 1999; 43(1): 41 - 50. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. S. Barden, S. F. Dowell, B. Schwartz, and C. Lackey Current Attitudes Regarding Use of Antimicrobial Agents: Results from Physicians' and Parents' Focus Group Discussions Clinical Pediatrics, November 1, 1998; 37(11): 665 - 671. [Abstract] [PDF]