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Theory utilization in current communication of cancer genetic testing research: Identified gaps and opportunities
Daniel Chavez-Yenter1, Jingsong Zhao2, Chelsea L Ratcliff3
1Department of Communication, University of Utah, 255 S. Central Campus Drive, RM 2400, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA; Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, 2000 Circle of Hope, HCI Research South Rm 4503, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
Background:
Effective communication of cancer-related genetic and genomic testing (CGT) with patients and the public is paramount to transforming and managing cancer prevention, detection, and care. Behavioral and social science theories could improve communication effectiveness and, in turn, health outcomes.
Methods:
In this study, we characterized the use of theory in recent research on communication about CGT from 2010 to 2017.
Results:
Of 513 empirical papers focusing on communication about CGT, only 119 (23%) utilized any theory in the study design. Behavior change and health psychology/cognitive representation theories (24.2% and 21.9%, respectively) were the most commonly used with minimal use of communication theories (3%). Theories were primarily used to guide hypotheses or research question development (73.9%), and for selecting measures or codes (68.9%). Approximately half of the papers (48.3%) related their study findings to the referenced theory. Fewer papers (14.3%) discussed implications of the findings for the theory.
Conclusions:
While theories are being utilized to inform study design, few discuss their results in the context of theoretical implications and thus decrease potential generalizability. Greater use of theory could help scholars to identify and develop theories suited to this clinical context and inform our understanding of related communication processes more broadly.
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