Assessing the Impact of Simplified Language on a Patient-Facing Pharmacogenetic Report: A User Comprehension Study

Area of Science:

• Pharmacogenetics
• Genetics
• Personalized Medicine

Background:

• Pharmacogenetics (PGx) investigates how genetic variations influence drug response.
• Provider and patient understanding of PGx utility remains a challenge.
• Patient perception of a single "right" drug can be misinformed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient comprehension of a newly developed, consumer-friendly PGx report.
• To assess the effectiveness of translating complex PGx clinical terminology into lay language.
• To measure improvements in pharmacogenetic literacy among consumers.

Main Methods:

• Adapted a commercial PGx test report for consumer understanding, ensuring readability ≤8th grade.
• Engaged 107 participants for analysis using the Genomind consumer comprehension survey.
• Utilized a modified Minnesota Assessment of Pharmacogenomic Literacy (MAPL™) pre- and post-survey.

Main Results:

• Achieved >90% comprehension rate on the Genomind consumer comprehension survey (98/107 participants).
• Demonstrated a statistically significant increase in overall PGx literacy post-survey.
• Validated the effectiveness of lay-language translation for PGx information.

Conclusions:

• Translating PGx test results into accessible language enhances patient understanding.
• Simplified PGx reports can empower individuals to grasp the link between their DNA and medications.
• Improved patient literacy in PGx supports informed healthcare decisions.