PURPOSE: Examine physician knowledge, preferences, and use of genetic tests for Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Survey of 426 community-based physicians treating AD patients. RESULTS: Majority gave inaccurate estimates of AD risk. Medical specialty predicted appropriate use of current tests. Recommending substances to prevent memory loss was related to acceptance of error-free tests. High patient loads and familiarity with genetic tests predicted lower tolerance for test error. CONCLUSION: Physicians do not endorse indiscriminate genetic susceptibility testing for AD. However, insufficient knowledge of disease risk, etiology, genetic susceptibility, and use of existing tests indicated a need for further physician education in this area.
PURPOSE: Examine physician knowledge, preferences, and use of genetic tests for Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Survey of 426 community-based physicians treating AD patients. RESULTS: Majority gave inaccurate estimates of AD risk. Medical specialty predicted appropriate use of current tests. Recommending substances to prevent memory loss was related to acceptance of error-free tests. High patient loads and familiarity with genetic tests predicted lower tolerance for test error. CONCLUSION: Physicians do not endorse indiscriminate genetic susceptibility testing for AD. However, insufficient knowledge of disease risk, etiology, genetic susceptibility, and use of existing tests indicated a need for further physician education in this area.
Authors: Robert C Green; J Scott Roberts; L Adrienne Cupples; Norman R Relkin; Peter J Whitehouse; Tamsen Brown; Susan LaRusse Eckert; Melissa Butson; A Dessa Sadovnick; Kimberly A Quaid; Clara Chen; Robert Cook-Deegan; Lindsay A Farrer Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2009-07-16 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Kali Godbee; Jane Gunn; Nicola T Lautenschlager; Eleanor Curran; Victoria J Palmer Journal: Prim Health Care Res Dev Date: 2019-10-23 Impact factor: 1.458
Authors: Jill S Goldman; Susan E Hahn; Jennifer Williamson Catania; Susan LaRusse-Eckert; Melissa Barber Butson; Malia Rumbaugh; Michelle N Strecker; J Scott Roberts; Wylie Burke; Richard Mayeux; Thomas Bird Journal: Genet Med Date: 2011-06 Impact factor: 8.822