Urban-Rural and Socioeconomic Differences in Patient Knowledge and Perceptions of Genomic Tumor Testing

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-9-2023

Publication Title

JCP Precision Oncology

Keywords

rural, urban, socioeconomic differences, cancer care, social determinants of health, genomic tumor testing

Abstract

Social determinants of health, such as rurality, income, and education, may widen health disparities by driving variation in patients' knowledge and perceptions of medical interventions, and may be especially pronounced regarding medical technologies such as genomic tumor testing which may be less accessible and potentially misunderstood.

Using date from surveys of patients with cancer enrolled in a large precision oncology initiative, the authors examined the knowledge and expectations and attitudes of these patients with toward large-panel genomic tumor testing, and analyzed differences by patient rurality, education, and income level. The authors found that patients’ education and income level are associated with knowledge, expectations, and attitudes toward genomic tumor testing, and rurality is associated with patient expectations. The authors conclude that efforts to promote adoption of genomic tumor testing therefore should focus on improving knowledge and awareness among individuals with low education and income.

Comments

A Data Supplement is available with the article.

Accepted on January 17, 2023 and published at ascopubs.org/journal/po on March 9, 2023: DOI https://doi.org/10. 1200/PO.22.00631

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