Impact of self-reported familiarity with guidelines for cystic fibrosis carrier screening

To assess the impact of self-reported familiarity with published guidelines on knowledge, implementation, and opinions of obstetrician-gynecologists regarding carrier screening for cystic fibrosis.

A questionnaire pertaining to cystic fibrosis screening guidelines was mailed to 1,165 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Sixty-four percent of questionnaires were returned. Statistical analyses were limited to the 632 respondents whose primary medical specialty was gynecology (GynOnly) or obstetrics and gynecology (ObGyns). More ObGyns had thoroughly read or skimmed the guidelines (67.1%) than had GynOnlys (41.6%). Correctly responding to basic questions regarding cystic fibrosis was associated with having read the guidelines, although responding to a more complex question was not. Familiarity with the guidelines was associated with correctly identifying the recommendations for offering screening, with practice implementation of cystic fibrosis screening, and with self-ratings of qualifications and training to offer screening and to provide counseling. In contrast, familiarity with the guidelines was not associated with ObGyn's opinion that burden of disease is likely to be influential in patient acceptance of screening. Physicians who had thoroughly read the guidelines were more likely to disagree that the cystic fibrosis screening test is too inaccurate to risk influencing reproductive decision making (thoroughly read = 79% disagree, skimmed = 69%, not read = 58%, not heard of it = 50%).

There was a strong association between self-reported familiarity with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/American College of Medical Genetics guidelines and physicians' knowledge, implementation, and ratings of training for offering cystic fibrosis carrier screening.