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. 2022 Nov 1:4:961128.
doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.961128. eCollection 2022.

Barriers, interventions, and recommendations: Improving the genetic testing landscape

E J Dusic  1 , Tesla Theoryn  1 , Catharine Wang  2 , Elizabeth M Swisher  3 , Deborah J Bowen  1   4 ; EDGE Study Team
Affiliations

Barriers, interventions, and recommendations: Improving the genetic testing landscape

E J Dusic et al. Front Digit Health. .

Abstract

Individual, provider, clinic, and societal level barriers have been shown to undermine the potential impact of genetic testing. The current approach in the primary care setting places an exorbitant burden on both providers and patients. Current literature provides insight into how to address barriers across multiple levels (patient, provider, clinic, system) and at multiple stages in the testing process (identification, referral, counseling, and testing) but interventions have had limited success. After outlining the current approach to genetic testing in the primary care setting, including the barriers that prevent genetic testing uptake and the methods proposed to address these issues, we recommend integrating genetic testing into routine medical care through population-based testing. Success in efforts to increase the uptake of genetic testing will not occur without significant changes to the way genetic services are delivered. These changes will not be instantaneous but are critical in moving this field forward to realize the potential for cancer risk genetic assessment to reduce cancer burden.

Keywords: cancer; genetic testing; genetics; population testing; primary care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this paper are all investigators on the Early Detection of Genetic Risk Study, which is described in this paper. The authors declare no commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multilevel barriers to accessing genetic testing for monogenic, hereditary cancer risk.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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