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

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.

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).

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.

The results suggest that an integrated educational program in genetics can enhance physicians' knowledge but may not alter referral patterns to a GC.