Genetic Counseling and Testing in African American Patients With Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Survey of US Breast Oncologists.

Purpose: To determine if physicians' self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding genetic counseling and testing (GCT) vary by patients' race.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide 49-item survey among breast oncology physicians in the United States. We queried respondents about their own demographics, clinical characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers in providing GCT to patients with breast cancer.

In-vivo design feedback and perceived utility of a genetically-informed smoking risk tool among current smokers in the community.

Background: The use of genetically-informed personalized risk information for behavioral disorders, namely smoking and smoking-related behaviors, is a promising yet understudied area. The Genetics and Smoking Risk Profile, or RiskProfile, leverages genetic and environmental information to communicate one's risk for smoking-related diseases. Although prior studies have examined attitudes toward genetic results, little research has investigated these perceptions through a lens of in-vivo testing; that is, user-centered design feedback in response to personalized genetic results being returned contemporaneously.

Proof of Concept of a Personalized Genetic Risk Tool to Promote Smoking Cessation: High Acceptability and Reduced Cigarette Smoking.

Relatively little is known about the possible effects of personalized genetic risk information on smoking, the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. We examined the acceptability and potential behavior change associated with a personalized genetically informed risk tool () among current smokers. Current smokers ( = 108) were enrolled in a pre-post study with three visits.

Participatory Design of a Personalized Genetic Risk Tool to Promote Behavioral Health.

Despite major advancements in genomic medicine, research to optimize the design and communication of genetically informed interventions in behavioral health has lagged. The goal of this study was to engage potential end users in participatory codesign of a personalized genetically informed risk tool to intervene on high-risk health behaviors. We used structured interviews to examine end-user attitudes and interest in personalized genetics, qualitative interviews to guide iterative design of a genetically informed tool, and questionnaires to assess acceptability and potential utility of the tool.

Assessing the effectiveness of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network genetic testing guidelines in identifying African American breast cancer patients with deleterious genetic mutations.

Purpose: Approximately, 10% of breast cancers are hereditary. Identifying women at high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer allows for early detection, prevention, and individualized disease management for those diagnosed with breast cancer. There is limited data about breast cancer genetic risks among African Americans as the majority of the large studies have been conducted in European Americans.

The significant impact of education, poverty, and race on Internet-based research participant engagement.

Purpose: Internet-based technologies are increasingly being used for research studies. However, it is not known whether Internet-based approaches will effectively engage participants from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Methods: A total of 967 participants were recruited and offered genetic ancestry results.

Twitter chatter about marijuana.

Purpose: We sought to examine the sentiment and themes of marijuana-related chatter on Twitter sent by influential Twitter users and to describe the demographics of these Twitter users.

Methods: We assessed the sentiment and themes of a random sample (n = 7,000) of influential marijuana-related tweets (sent from February 5, 20114, to March 5, 2014). Demographics of the users tweeting about marijuana were inferred using a social media analytics company (Demographics Pro for Twitter).