Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar 18:9:757212.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.757212. eCollection 2022.

Limited Genomics Training Among Physicians Remains a Barrier to Genomics-Based Implementation of Precision Medicine

Valerie M Schaibley  1   2   3 , Irma N Ramos  1   4 , Raymond L Woosley  5 , Steven Curry  5 , Sean Hays  6 , Kenneth S Ramos  1   5   7
Affiliations

Limited Genomics Training Among Physicians Remains a Barrier to Genomics-Based Implementation of Precision Medicine

Valerie M Schaibley et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

Abstract

The field of precision medicine has undergone significant growth over the past 10 years. Despite increasing applications of clinical genetic and genomic testing, studies consistently report limited knowledge of genetics and genomics among healthcare providers. This study explored barriers to the implementation of precision medicine by surveying physicians working in a large academic medical center. We assessed prior training in genetics, use of genetic testing in the clinic, desire for additional resources in genetics and genomic medicine and perceived barriers to successful integration of precision medicine. Only 20% of respondents reported moderate or extensive training in genetics. Physicians with limited or no training in genetics were less likely to have ordered a genetic test for any purpose. Furthermore, 41% of physicians responded that their lack of training identifying appropriate genetic tests and how to interpret genetic testing results was the most significant barrier to ordering genetic testing for their patients. These findings suggest that future efforts to realize the promise of precision medicine should focus on the integration of training programs for non-genetics trained healthcare providers.

Keywords: clinical care; genetics; genomics; precision medicine; training.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Level of genomics training influences use of genetics testing in clinical settings. Proportion of providers who responded Yes to the questions, “Have you ever ordered a genetic test for one of your patients?,” “Have you ever ordered a genetic-based test for diagnostic purposes?,” “Do you feel you need help interpreting clinical genomic data if these data was made available to you?,” and “Would you place a consult to a physician with expertise in genomic medicine if available at your institution” arranged from left to right stratified by self-reported level of training in genomics.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Lack of personal training in genomics is a barrier to clinical genetic testing. Physician’s responses to the question, “What is the major barrier for you to order a genetic test for a given patient?” among (A) all respondents and (B) stratified by level of training in genomics.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Denny JC, Collins FS. Precision medicine in 2030-seven ways to transform healthcare. Cell. (2021) 184:1415–9. 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.015 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guttmacher AE, Porteous ME, McInerney JD. Educating health-xcare professionals about genetics and genomics. Nat Rev Genet. (2007) 8:151–7. 10.1038/nrg2007 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maiese DR, Keehn A, Lyon M, Flannery D, Watson M. Current conditions in medical genetics practice. Genet Med. (2019) 21:1874–7. 10.1038/s41436-018-0417-6 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics Health and Society. Genetics Education and Training. (2011). Available online at: https://osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SACGHS_education_repor... (accessed April 26, 2011).
    1. Bonter K, Desjardins C, Currier N, Pun J, Ashbury FD. Personalised medicine in Canada: a survey of adoption and practice in oncology, cardiology and family medicine. BMJ Open. (2011) 1:e000110. 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000110 - DOI - PMC - PubMed