Piloting a Spanish-Language Web-Based Tool for Hereditary Cancer Genetic Testing

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Public Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Limited access to Spanish-speaking genetic counselors hinders hereditary cancer pre-test education for Spanish-language patients.
• A gap exists in providing culturally relevant and accessible genetic information for cancer risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a web-based genetic education tool in Spanish designed to inform patients about hereditary cancer and genetic testing.
• To assess the tool's impact on participants' knowledge, attitudes, and decisional empowerment regarding genetic testing.

Main Methods:

• A Spanish-language web tool was delivered to 41 Spanish-speaking patients with a personal/family history of cancer.
• Surveys measured changes in knowledge and attitudes; a McNemar test assessed decisional empowerment.
• Semi-structured interviews with 10 participants evaluated tool usability and content appropriateness.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in participant knowledge about genetic testing were observed (p < 0.001).
• Decisional empowerment to decide on genetic testing rose from 15% to 51% (p < 0.001).
• Qualitative feedback highlighted the tool's user-friendliness and valuable content.

Conclusions:

• The Spanish-language web tool effectively enhances knowledge and empowerment for cancer genetic testing decisions.
• This user-friendly, scalable tool can help bridge educational gaps, though genetic counseling may still be beneficial for some.
• The findings support the use of digital health tools to improve genetic literacy in underserved linguistic populations.