Healthcare professionals' and consumers' knowledge, attitudes, perspectives, and education needs in oncology pharmacogenomics: A systematic review

Healthcare provider and patient perspectives on the implementation of pharmacogenetic-guided treatment in routine clinical practice

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to understand patient and healthcare provider perspectives on the integration and application of pharmacogenetics (PGx) testing in routine clinical practice.

METHODS

Two anonymous online surveys were distributed globally for healthcare providers and patients respectively on the Qualtrics platform (version 3.24). The surveys were distributed through social platforms, email, and posters with QR codes from 27 October 2023 to 7 March 2024. The surveys evaluated participant familiarity with PGx, previous experience with PGx testing, perceived implementation challenges, and opinions on point-of-care (PoC) PGx testing devices.

RESULTS

This study collected 78 responses from healthcare providers and 98 responses from patients. The results revealed that 64% of healthcare providers had some level of familiarity with PGx, however, PGx testing in clinical practice was low. The primary challenges identified by healthcare providers included limited access to testing and lack of knowledge on PGx test interpretation. In contrast, 52% of patient respondents were aware of PGx testing, with a significant association between awareness and positive opinions toward PGx. Both healthcare providers and patients recognized the value of PoC PGx testing devices, with 98% of healthcare providers and 71% of patients believing PoC devices would improve the accessibility and implementation of PGx testing. Comparative analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in PGx awareness between healthcare providers and patients, with providers being more informed.

CONCLUSION

Improved PGx awareness, training, clinical guidelines, and PoC PGx testing devices may help promote the implementation of PGx-guided treatments in routine clinical practice.

Healthcare professionals' and consumers' knowledge, attitudes, perspectives, and education needs in oncology pharmacogenomics: A systematic review

Clinical implementation of pharmacogenomic (PGx)-guided prescribing in oncology lags behind research evidence generation. We aimed to identify healthcare professionals' (HCPs) and consumers' knowledge, attitudes, perspectives, and education needs to inform strategies for implementation of scalable and sustainable oncology PGx programs. Systematic review of original articles indexed in EMBASE, EMCARE, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo from January 2012 until June 2022, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022352348. Of 1442 identified studies; 23 met inclusion criteria with 87% assessed high quality. Of these, 52% reported on HCPs, 35% on consumers, and 13% on both HCPs and consumers. Most were conducted in the United States (70%) and included multiple cancer types (74%). Across studies, HCPs and consumers mostly perceived value in PGx, however, both groups reported barriers to utilization, including cost, lack of consistent recommendations across guidelines, and limited knowledge among HCPs; test accuracy, clear testing benefits, and genomic information confidentiality among consumers. HCPs and consumers value and want to engage in PGx strategies in oncology care, however, are inhibited by unmet needs and practice and knowledge gaps. Implementation strategies aimed at addressing these issues may best support increased PGx uptake in oncology practice.