Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Alabama's primary care physicians regarding cancer genetics.
OBJECTIVE
To determine Alabama's primary care physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding cancer genetics.


METHODS
A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 1,148 physicians: family and general practitioners, internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists.


RESULTS
Of the surveyed physicians, 22.1% responded. Of the respondents, 63% to 85% obtained family histories of cancer from 76% to 100% of their patients. Obstetrician-gynecologists referred more patients for cancer genetic testing (p = .008) and were more confident in their abilities to tailor preventive recommendations based on the results (p = .05) than were the other physicians. Primary care physicians were more likely than were obstetrician-gynecologists to identify lack of time during the patient visit as hindering efforts to do genetic counseling (p = .01). Physicians in practice for ten years or less were more confident in explaining genetic test results than were those in practice for more than 20 years (p = .01).


CONCLUSIONS
These data validate gaps in primary care practices in obtaining family history of cancer, as well as lack of confidence in explaining genetic test results and in tailoring recommendations based on the tests.
Acton
R T
RT
Department of Microbiology, Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-4400, USA. Ron_Acton@uab.edu
Burst
N M
NM
Casebeer
L
L
Ferguson
S M
SM
Greene
P
P
Laird
B L
BL
Leviton
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006176:Gynecology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D009774:Obstetrics; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011320:Primary Health Care