Genetics Education Program Research Articles

The Evaluation on a Genetics Education Program for Children

The Evaluation on a Genetics Education Program for Children

“L'Dor v'Dor,” From Generation to Generation: One Community's Response to Jewish Genetic Diseases

SUMMARY Most American Jews are of Ashkenazic (Eastern European) descent and, as such, are at risk of being carriers of one or more Jewish genetic diseases. There is a compelling need to educate teens and young adults about these diseases, inheritance patterns, genetic counseling and screening before they have children. To overcome the barriers of the high costs of testing and concerns about the loss of confidentiality, the Jewish community in Phoenix, Arizona has created an affordable screening and genetics education program to reach out to rabbis, physicians, and Jewish individuals.

Clinical Genetics Education Program in Medical School

Clinical Genetics Education Program in Medical School

The impact of a genetics education program on physicians’ knowledge and genetic counseling referral patterns

Background: Gaps in the knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) in medical genetics prevent the effective utilization of genetic services and increase the risk of liability. Educators recommend that genetics should be integrated into existing teaching programs but the effectiveness of these types of programs is unknown.Aim: The objective of this study was to provide a 2-year educational program for GPs untrained in genetics and to document its impact on genetic knowledge and referrals to a genetic counselor (GC).Methods: Eight genetic lectures series were given at quarterly intervals. Family practice residents received additional training in a genetics clinic, and participated in monthly seminars and bi-annual journal clubs. A pretest–post-test study design (n = 143) was used to evaluate the genetic knowledge of GPs. Post-test scores [mean (%) ± SD; 76.1 ± 16.8] showed significant improvement compared to pretest scores (61.9 ± 19.1). The majority of participants (81%) indicated that the program would have an impact on their clinical practice. The number of referrals to a GC from GPs untrained in genetics did not change over the 2-year period of the program.Conclusion: The results suggest that an integrated educational program in genetics can enhance physicians’ knowledge but may not alter referral patterns to a GC.

Beyond the Bench: Continuing Education for Nurses on Environmental Geneticsand Complex Diseases

Many people find it hard to fit professional development and continuing education into their busy work lives. Now help is just a mouse-click away for nurses seeking flexible, self-paced training in the growing field of environmental genetics. The Community Outreach and Education Core (COEC) of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati, in collaboration with the Genetics Education Program for Nurses (GEPN) of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, has created an online Environmental Genetics and Complex Diseases educational module that introduces nurses to the principles of environmental genetics, and also teaches them how to apply those principles in nursing practice. Online since December 2005, the module is useful for all nurses in clinical practice, but especially targets those who work extensively with minority or medically underserved patients. The module focuses on alcoholism, lead, and asthma, three challenging public and environmental health problems in underserved communities. “The module is designed to prepare nurses in underserved communities to identify people who are at risk for environmental genetic conditions and help those people gain access to community services that emphasize prevention and early treatment strategies,” says COEC director M. Kathryn Brown. Cynthia Prows, a clinical nurse specialist in genetics and the principal investigator of the web program, says the module organizes information into useful and manageable resources. “There is a tremendous amount of information on the Internet about genetics and about environmental health. But how do nurses who have limited knowledge in the topic areas locate the various sites, sift through all the information, decide what information is current and accurate, and then use that information for learning purposes? The answer is, most nurses don’t because they don’t have the time or the necessary foundational knowledge in genetics to mine the overwhelming mass of information that is accessible through the Internet.” The module developers have done that work for the nurses, and have organized the content in a way that helps nurses develop foundational knowledge in environmental genetics using high-quality resources that are applicable to their practice. Once learners create a unique username and password, they can access the module free of charge, and can re-enter it at any time at the place they last exited. Those who wish to earn 4.8 nursing continuing education contact hours after completing the module and associated evaluations pay a minimal processing fee. The module offers nurses background information on gene–environment interactions, and teaches them environmental and sociodemographic risk factors for common diseases. It also provides screening tools and community resources for nurses treating patients with recognizable genetic and environmental risk factors. Each of the three learning tracks also offer prenatal, pediatric, and adult case studies and self-assessments with each content area. After completing the module, nurses are able to approach their communities armed with valuable knowledge of gene–environment interactions and insight into how those interactions can affect human health. They are also equipped with a wealth of online resources that can be accessed long after they complete the training module. “Making sense of the fast-growing literature about how the health impacts of environmental exposures through the life span are mediated by our genetics is a challenge for health care professionals,” says Brown. “We hope that the vast array of resources identified in these self-paced, online modules will be helpful to primary care practitioners trying to make sense of new developments in genetic screening tests, environmental prevention strategies, and treatment options.” The module is available at http://gepn.cchmc.org/. Three additional genetics education modules currently available include Promoting Informed Decision-Making about Genetic Testing, Ethical and Social Issues Related to Genetic Testing, and Interpreting Family History. Two new modules are also in the pilot testing phase: Genetics Is Relevant Now––Nurse Views and Patient Stories, and Nurses’ Role in Pharmacogenetics/Pharmacogenomics.

A web-based genetic polymorphism learning approach for high school students and science teachers

Variation and polymorphism are concepts that are central to genetics and genomics, primary biological disciplines in which high school students and undergraduates require a solid foundation. From 1998 through 2002, a web-based genetics education program was developed for high school teachers and students. The program included an exercise on using freely available bioinformatics tools on the Internet to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms in genomic DNA and gene-based sequences to evaluate variation or polymorphism. Similar tools were also used to show the functional effect, if any, of the single nucleotide polymorphisms. A total of 25 science teachers and 60 students from high schools in Alabama and Virginia participated in the program that ranged from 2 to 4 weeks. Seventy percent of the teachers have now developed a web-based module to teach at least two lessons involving DNA variation and how it influences other disciplines, including evolution. Among former high school students, five are in Ph.D. programs in genetics or related subjects, and 80% are in medical school or in college in a biology or pre-med major. The exercise is simple to implement, and the cost is relatively low, requiring only a computer with an Internet connection. It also provides a foundation for introducing students to the theory of evolution, a concept that remains controversial in high school science curricula. Similar programs, if properly implemented, may result in fostering more interest in the biological sciences among prospective college students and ensure a good foundation in the pipeline for career biologists and scientists.

Successful Implementation of Genetic Education for Native Americans Workshops at National Conferences

Genetic Education for Native Americans (GENA) was a National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)/Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI)-funded educational intervention designed to provide a unique genetics education program for Native American college and university students. A curriculum was developed and implemented in workshops in geographically diverse settings throughout the United States, primarily in conjunction with regional and national scientific conferences that include substantial numbers of Native American attendees. The original curriculum includes 24 objectives and has been offered in two formats, as a 16-hr "comprehensive" program and in briefer workshops (referred to as "customized" hereafter) that are designed to include objectives for selected audiences. Both formats teach sufficient genetics to allow discussion and understanding of the ELSI and cultural issues related to genetics science. This article describes the evaluation findings from our implementation of both formats of the GENA curriculum.

Education for genetics and nursing practice.

Genetic factors influence the risk for disease, selection of treatments, and overall health of persons throughout the life span. Nurses in critical care practice participate in assessing genetic risks for disease, implementing treatments, educating people about genetic aspects of health and disease, supporting the client's abilities to cope with the information, and assisting the individual and family to make health-related decisions involving genetic information. Opportunities for critical care nurses to become knowledgeable about genetic aspects of critical care nursing exist through academic courses, continuing education, and summer institutes. Recently, new guidelines for the genetic education of nurses have been developed. However, genetic education opportunities are not available to all nurses throughout the United States. Genetic nursing education programs based on guidelines for integration of genetic knowledge into professional nursing practice are needed.

Development of a cancer genetics education program for clinicians.

There is a gap in knowledge about hereditary cancer and genetic testing among primary care practitioners. Education is needed to enable identification and management of patients at high risk for cancer. A new cancer genetics curriculum was delivered through individual lectures and full-day conferences. Innovative marketing and conference organizational approaches were used to increase participation. The curriculum has been delivered to 7,400 health care professionals with diverse educational backgrounds. Conventional formats were successfully used to implement this new curriculum. CME evaluations indicated satisfaction with the programs and a clear need for and continued interest in cancer genetics applications.

Genetics education for primary care providers in community health settings.

Patients who are in need of genetic services are often inappropriately managed, in part due to inadequate knowledge of genetic issues among primary health care providers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a genetics education program on the knowledge and attitudes of primary care providers in community health settings. A total of one hundred twenty-one primary care providers who work in Texas Public Health Region VIII participated in an educational program designed to provide basic genetics information. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to assess knowledge and attitudes of subjects, and comparisons were made pre and post intervention. Pretest assessment revealed less than adequate knowledge about basic genetic principles and relatively positive attitudes among the subjects. Following the program, there were statistically significant increases in both knowledge about genetic conditions (P = .001) and attitudes toward provision of genetic services (P = .001). These results indicate that primary health care providers, motivated to learn complex materials and new skills in order to assist their patients, can do so in a relatively short time period.

Genetic Counseling: The Sorrow and the Policy

Book reviewed in this article: Coping with Genetic Disorders. By John C. Fletcher. Genetics, Ethics and Parenthood. Edited by Karen Lebacqz. Screening and Counseling for Genetic Conditions: The Ethical, Social, and Legal Implications of Genetic Screening, Counseling, and Education Programs. A report of the President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research.