Public involvement in pharmacogenomics research: a national survey on public attitudes towards pharmacogenomics research and the willingness to donate DNA samples to a DNA bank in Japan

A conceptual analysis of public opinion regarding genome research in Japan

In the 20 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, the gap between scientific development and public understanding of genome research has been widening. While genome research has been increasingly utilized for social and clinical purposes in a multifaceted manner, this has resulted in an increase in the potential risks associated with genomic data. In this context, our study aims to consider the nature of public perceptions of genome research, primarily by using as a case study the results of previous public surveys relevant to donations for social benefits in Japan. We explored certain types of awareness, attitude, and intention (A-A-I) in such surveys and discussed the resultant key findings through the cultural transmission framework. Reframing the public's response toward genome research based on A-A-I analysis and behavioral science may contribute to developing more systematic communication approaches with the public. With a view to establishing such approaches, our perspective suggests some new insights to discuss the science-society gap in genome research internationally.

Assessment of willingness of Saudi public to participate in a dental biorepository for research purposes

BACKGROUND

Biobanks/biorepositories are created to collect biospecimens for therapeutic and research uses. The success of the banking concept depends predominantly on the public's understanding and desire to contribute, which triggers several social, cultural, and ethical implications. The aim of this study is (1) to assess the willingness among adults attending outpatient clinics at King Abdulaziz Medical City to donate dental tissue samples to a biorepository for research purposes, (2) to identify the significant predictors for positive attitudes and willingness to donate dental bio-specimens.

METHODOLOGY

This is a cross-sectional study that targeted 401 adult outpatients attending King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire focused on three main parts: demographic and personal characteristics, and previous experience regarding biorepositories (part I), knowledge about dental biorepositories (part II), and willingness and attitudes towards donating dental biospecimens (part III). Data collected were analyzed using the statistical program SAS (version 9.4) with 0.05 level of significance to determine the willingness of donating tissue to biobanks for biomedical research purposes, measure knowledge and attitude about biobanking, find the association between the assessed variables, and identify significant predictors of positive attitude to donate dental biospecimens.

RESULTS

66% of the participants were willing to donate dental biospecimens, however only 33.9% showed good level of knowledge. Despite the notable lack of knowledge, 54% respondents had favorable attitude towards donating dental biospecimens, and only 17% were negative while the remaining 29% were neutral. Previous involvement in medical research, previous blood testing or donation, female gender, higher education level, employment in a medical facility, and higher monthly income variables were found to be significantly associated with higher willingness to donate dental biospecimens.

CONCLUSION

Although the majority of the participants exhibited lack of knowledge about dental biorepositories, they showed high willingness and good attitude towards donating dental biospecimens. This favorable attitude is, in turn, encouraging for the future establishment of dental biorepositories in Saudi Arabia. Six factors were significantly associated with the willingness to donate dental biospecimens, out of these, female gender, previous blood testing/donation, previous involvement in medical research were found to be strong predictors.

Readiness to Accept Genetic Testing for Personalized Medicine: Survey Findings on the Role of Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Health Vulnerabilities, Perceived Genetic Risk and Personality Factors

Studies from various countries have shown that majorities would accept genetic testing for personalization of treatment, but little is known about differences among population subgroups. The present study investigated whether readiness to accept a hypothetical cost-free offer of genetic testing to personalize treatment depends on socio-demographic characteristics, health-related vulnerabilities, personal dispositions, and prior awareness about personalized medicine. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey design. Out of a representative initial sample of 50-80-year-old Danish citizens (n = 15,072), n = 6807 returned a fully answered web-based questionnaire. Socio-demographic data were added from a national registry. Data were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. A large majority of respondents (78.3%) expressed their readiness to be tested. Rates were higher in men, younger persons, and those with higher income. Additionally, ex-smokers and obese persons as well as those less satisfied with their health and respondents who perceived a personal genetic risk were more interested, as were those with higher internal health control, higher extraversion, higher emotional stability, and those who had not heard about this option before. Further research should investigate the specific concerns among population subgroups which need being addressed by systematic communication efforts in a clinical but also a broader public health context.

Preferences for pharmacogenomic testing in polypharmacy patients: a discrete choice experiment

Aim: To elicit preferences for pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing in polypharmacy patients. Materials & methods: A face-to-face discrete choice experiment survey was designed and administered to adult polypharmacy patients recruited at a local retail pharmacy in Albuquerque (NM, USA). Results: A total of 128 eligible polypharmacy patients completed the discrete choice experiment survey and significantly preferred a PGx test with lower cost, better confidentiality and higher certainty of identifying best medication/dose and side effects and one that can be used to advocate for their treatment needs (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: This is the first study eliciting preferences for PGx testing among polypharmacy patients. The study found most polypharmacy patients were willing to take a PGx test and their preferences were mostly influenced by test cost.

Assessment of Biobanking Knowledge and Attitudes towards Biospecimen Donation among Healthcare Providers in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Biobanking is a critical cornerstone of the global shift towards precision medicine (PM). This transformation requires smooth and informed interaction between a range of stakeholders involved in the healthcare system. In Saudi Arabia, there is still insufficient awareness of the importance of biobanking and its potential benefits for patients, the healthcare system, and society as a whole. The purpose of this study was to determine the biobanking knowledge of Saudi healthcare providers and the potential factors that might influence their self-reported attitudes toward biospecimen donation and biobanking.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting 636 healthcare providers in Makkah province using a structured, self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

The study had a response rate of 61%. The mean knowledge level about biobanks was 3.5 (±1.8) out of 7. About one-third of the participants were aware of the Human Genome Project (HGP) (35%) or the term "biobank" (34%). The mean rating of their attitude was 37.3 (±4.3) out of 55. Most participants (74%) had a positive attitude toward medical research. Job position, general health, previous blood tests, knowledge of biobanking, and attitudes toward biomedical research were significantly related and predictors of willingness to donate biospecimens (p < 0.05). However, concerns about biospecimen misuse and confidentiality were the main reasons for not donating biospecimens.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown that healthcare providers mostly lack basic knowledge about HGP and biobanks and their roles and activities, and therefore are generally disinclined to actively participate in biospecimens' collection and management. It is recommended that medical trainees receive more education and awareness about biobanks and the latest personalized healthcare approaches to improve translational research outcomes and achieve precision medicine.

Precision medicine from a citizen perspective: a survey of public attitudes towards pharmacogenomics in Flanders

BACKGROUND

Personalized medicine is an emerging field, aiming to improve the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy. The field's implementation in clinical care is steadily increasing. Pharmacogenomics are one example of personalized approaches in the clinic and direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmacogenomic tests have become publicly available. We aimed to assess public opinion on pharmacogenomic research and testing to foster integration within Belgian health care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was created and disseminated online, focusing on the citizen perspective. Participants' willingness to engage in pharmacogenomic research was the primary outcome. In addition, their awareness, understanding, expectations and overall acceptance towards pharmacogenomic testing was investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 156 participants (54.5% aged between 18 and 30 years, 45.5% > 30 years; 73.1% females) completed the survey. Half ever experienced side effects (46.2%) and treatment failure (52.6%). Up to 45.5% (n = 71) were willing to participate in pharmacogenomics research, and the majority (78.8%) were convinced that pharmacogenomic tests could help doctors to prescribe them the right medications. Additionally, 76.3% (n = 118) supported a partial reimbursement of pharmacogenomics tests. A minority (5.1%, n = 8) of participants showed interest in DTC tests, and 15.4% (n = 24) expressed privacy concerns regarding pharmacogenomics testing. Participants preferred their healthcare professionals' to perform the test and access their data, but refused commercial providers.

CONCLUSION

Overall, participants showed a positive attitude towards precision medicine and pharmacogenomics research. Our findings may help guiding future pharmacogenomic implementation initiatives to optimize drug use by using pharmacogenomic information integrated within health care.

Attitudes and Awareness Toward Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Adoption Among Health Sciences Trainees: Experience from Greece and Lessons for Europe

The increasing incorporation of genomics in clinical practice underscores the need to improve genomics knowledge and familiarity among future health care providers. To this end, it is important to consider both the "push" and the "pull" factors that shape or determine the transition of new personalized medicine (PM) discoveries to clinical practice. One of the pull factors involves the attitudes, values, and education of the user communities such as patients, physicians, and scientists who are poised to use the PM diagnostics. Among the push factors are often health scientists who contribute to PM science and development efforts. Seen in this light, health sciences trainees represent both the push and pull factors, not to mention the next generation of stakeholders and innovation actors who will make PM a reality in mainstream medical practice in the future. Τhis study aimed at investigating and comparing awareness and attitudes (ethical and other) on pharmacogenomics (PGx) and PM adoption among undergraduate students from the school of health sciences and other students. A convenience sample was used in this survey in two groups of students: 205 students from the School of Health Sciences and 141 students from other schools (e.g., biology, computer engineering, and business administration) of the University of Patras, Greece, and mostly at undergraduate education level. We observed that despite the relatively low level of awareness about genetics, PGx, and relevant notions, both groups of students were very optimistic about the genetic testing usefulness and professed their positive anticipations about PGx on disease management. Thus, health sciences students and those in other faculties appeared to be avid proponents of genetics testing and in favor of public endorsement of the concepts of individually tailored medicine. This case study in Greece is one of the first studies on perceptions and attitudes toward PGx testing and PM in Southern Europe. Of importance, the study informs the prospects and challenges on the push and pull factors of PM innovation while offering potential lessons for future PM curriculum needs in health sciences in other countries in Europe.

Assessment of knowledge about biobanking among healthcare students and their willingness to donate biospecimens

Background

Biobanks and biospecimen collections are becoming a primary means of delivering personalized diagnostics and tailoring individualized therapeutics. This shift towards precision medicine (PM) requires interactions among a variety of stakeholders, including the public, patients, healthcare providers, government, and donors. Very few studies have investigated the role of healthcare students in biobanking and biospecimen donations. The main aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the knowledge of senior healthcare students about biobanks and (2) to assess the students’ willingness to donate biospecimens and the factors influencing their attitudes.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among senior healthcare students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabia. The data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire in English. In addition to the respondents’ biographical data section, the questionnaire assessed the respondents’ general knowledge about biobanking, the factors influencing their willingness to donate biospecimens to biobanks and their general attitudes towards biomedical research.

Results

A total of 597 senior healthcare students were included in the study. The general knowledge score was 3.2 (±1.6) out of 7. Only approximately 44% and 27% of students were aware of the terms “Human Genome Project” (HGP) and “biobank,” respectively. The majority of the students (89%) were willing to donate biospecimens to biobanks. Multiple factors were significantly associated with their willingness to donate, including their perceived general health (p < 0.001), past experience with both tissue testing (p < 0.04) and tissue donation (p < 0.001), biobanking knowledge score (p < 0.001) and biomedical research attitude score (p < 0.001). The main reasons for students’ willingness to donate were advancement of medical research and societal benefits, whereas misuse of biospecimens and confidentiality breaches were the main reasons for a reluctance to donate.

Conclusion

Despite their strong willingness to donate biospecimens, students exhibited a notable lack of knowledge about biobanking and the HGP. To expedite the transition towards PM, it is highly recommended to enhance healthcare curricula by including more educational and awareness programmes to familiarize students with OMICs technologies in addition to the scope of research and clinical applications.

Experiences and attitudes of residents regarding a community-based genome cohort study in Japan: a population-based, cross-sectional study

Background

Because of the rapid development in genomics, more research findings have emerged. However, the association between society and research results remains controversial. This article examines the experiences and attitudes of residents regarding a community-based genomic cohort study.

Methods

This study was conducted as a part of the health survey of the City Health Promotion section. At the conclusion of the first stage of the project, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 2,500 residents in 2012.

Results

The response rate was 59 % (n = 1477/2500). The findings show that 70 % of males and 50 % of females knew nothing about the project. Females and elderly people were more likely to have knowledge of the study, indicating that self-rated understanding of the terminology is statistically associated with the level of awareness regarding the project. In addition, those who were aware of the project were also aware of the benefits of research utilizing genetic information, whereas unaware respondents, particularly males, believed that unexpected negative effects may occur. Those with higher self-rated understanding of the terminology and higher awareness of benefit of the research utilizing genetic information had more positive attitudes toward undergoing drug susceptibility genetic testing, indicating that the awareness of project in females and concerns toward genetic research are not statistically associated with the willingness to undergo.

Conclusions

This study suggests that a community-based genome cohort project helps raise awareness of benefit of genetic research and that knowledge, however, does not directly affect the willingness to participate in related activities, such as drug susceptibility genetic testing. Therefore, additional research that focuses on the circular relationship between risk and action must be conducted in the future.

Public perceptions of pharmacogenetics

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) promises to optimize patient response to therapy. However, the public's acceptance of PGx is not well known, notably when this applies to children. Our objective was to explore perceptions of PGx testing among individuals, who differ from each other by either parental status or educational exposure to PGx, and to explore parents' views between PGx testing for oneself and PGx testing for their children.

METHODS

An exploratory survey was conducted among parents and other adults. Surveys P and C were completed by parents, survey NP by middle-aged nonparents, and survey MS by medical students.

RESULTS

Proper explanation before PGx testing appeared to be the most important issue to the respondents (eg, P = 1.55 × 10(-38) for survey NP). Respondents who were more knowledgeable about PGx were also more comfortable with PGx testing (eg, P = 2.53 × 10(-7) in case of mild disease). When PGx testing was for one's child, parents valued their own understanding more than their child's assent (P = 1.57 × 10(-17)).

CONCLUSIONS

The acceptability of PGx testing, either for oneself or for one's child, seemed to depend on baseline PGx knowledge, but not on parenthood.

Racial differences in attitudes toward personalized medicine

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Patient concerns regarding personalized medicine may limit its use. This study assesses racial differences in attitudes toward personalized medicine, evaluating variables that may influence these attitudes.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 190 adults (≥18 years) from an academic primary care practice was surveyed regarding awareness and acceptance of personalized medicine, plus concerns and benefits regarding its use. Logistic regressions predicting awareness, acceptance and concerns were performed, controlling for race, gender, marital status, education, children, internet use, and self-reported discrimination.

RESULTS

The sample was 35% non-Hispanic white (NHW) and 34.7% male. More NHW participants expressed acceptance of personalized medicine than non-Hispanic black (NHB) participants (94.4 vs. 81.9%, p = 0.0190). More NHBs were concerned about the use of genes without consent (57.3 vs. 20.6%, p < 0.0001), sharing genetic information without consent (65.0 vs. 35.6%, p < 0.0001), discrimination based on genes (62.4 vs. 34.3%, p = 0.0002), and lack of access due to cost (75.0 vs. 48.0%, p = 0.0002). In logistic regressions, NHBs (OR = 7.46, 95% CI = 3.04-18.32) and those self-reporting discrimination (OR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.22-6.78) had more concerns about the misuse of genes and costs associated with personalized medicine.

CONCLUSION

Racial differences exist in attitudes toward personalized medicine and may be influenced by self-reported discrimination. Further study to understand factors influencing the acceptance of personalized medicine could help encourage its use.

Attitudes towards biosample donation in andrology patients

Clinical left-over biosamples are an important source for medical research. Our aim is to ascertain the attitudes of andrology patients towards biosample donation. A survey of 866 andrology patients with diverse andrology conditions was conducted in Shanghai, China from May 2010 to December 2010. The response rate was 75.8%. Of the study patients, 61.4% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.58-0.65) voiced the opinion that they were willing to donate the residual biosample; 32.0% refused to donate; and 6.6% stated that they were undecided. Unwillingness to give sample was independently associated with having a low level of education (p = 0.047, OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.39-0.995) and being infertile patients (p = 0.03, OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39-0.95), while willingness was significantly associated with being cancer patients (p = 0.04, OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.03-3.50), being aged 18-29 years (p < 0.01, OR = 5.88, 95% CI: 2.85-12.16) and being aged 30-44 years (p = 0.01, OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.20-3.90). Most andrology patients would want to authorize every future research by themselves (82.4%) and obtain their individual research results (75.7%). Less than half of the willing respondents would want to donate semen (44.1%) and testis (41.3%). The results suggested that andrology patients' willingness to donate samples was low, especially in case of infertile patients. More studies are required to elucidate further causes for the low willingness to donate sample among andrology patients.