title: Predictive genetics in primary care: expectations for the motivational impact of genetic testing affects the importance family physicians place on screening for familial cancer risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the importance family physicians place on familial cancer-risk screening is influenced by expectations for the motivational impact of a high-risk genetic test result.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mailed survey of the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents expected patients would increase pursuit of screening for cancer (99.6%) and other diseases (89.9%), quit smoking (93.6%), and improve diet/exercise (92.5%). The degree of motivational effect was significantly related to the importance they place on screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family physicians believe that a high-risk cancer genetic-test result would motivate their patients to pursue risk-reduction behavior, and this belief is related to the importance they place on screening their patients for an inherited risk of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Brown Medical School Department of Family Medicine and Brown Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island 02860, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gramling
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siren
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Culpepper
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012306:Risk