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Use of Genetic Tests among Neurologists and Psychiatrists: Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Needs for Training

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Genetic Counseling

Abstract

This study explores neurologists’ and psychiatrists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning genetic tests. Psychiatrists (n = 5,316) and neurologists (n = 2,167) on the American Medical Association master list who had agreed to receive surveys were sent an email link to a survey about their attitudes and practices regarding genetic testing; 372 psychiatrists and 163 neurologists responded. A higher proportion of neurologists (74 %) than psychiatrists (14 %) who responded to the survey had ordered genetic testing in the past 6 months. Overall, most respondents thought that genetic tests should be performed more frequently, but almost half believed genetic tests could harm patients psychologically and considered legal protections inadequate. Almost half of neurologists (49 %) and over 75 % of psychiatrists did not have a genetics professional to whom to refer patients; those who had ordered genetic tests were more likely than those who did not do so to have access to a genetic counselor. Of respondents, 10 % had received patient requests not to document genetic information and 15 % had received inquiries about direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Neurologists reported themselves to be relatively more experienced and knowledgeable about genetics than psychiatrists. These data, the first to examine several important issues concerning knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of neurologists and psychiatrists regarding genetic tests, have important implications for future practice, research, and education.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Matthew Wynia, MD, Abby Fyer, MD, and Patricia Contino, MFA for their assistance with this manuscript.

From the Center for Research on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Psychiatric, Neurologic, and Behavioral Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center. This work was supported by NHGRI grant #1P20HG005535-01 (Paul Appelbaum, PI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Melissa Salm, Kristopher Abbate, Alexander Malik Curtis & Christopher Leech

  2. Columbia University Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Paul Appelbaum, Ruth Ottman, Wendy Chung, Karen Marder, Roy Alcalay, Jill Goldman & Robert Klitzman

  3. NY State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Paul Appelbaum & Robert Klitzman

  4. HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Cheng-Shiun Leu

  5. American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, USA

    Katherine Johansen Taber

Authors
  1. Melissa Salm
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  2. Kristopher Abbate
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  3. Paul Appelbaum
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  4. Ruth Ottman
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  5. Wendy Chung
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  6. Karen Marder
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  7. Cheng-Shiun Leu
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  8. Roy Alcalay
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  10. Alexander Malik Curtis
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  11. Christopher Leech
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  13. Robert Klitzman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Klitzman.

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Salm, M., Abbate, K., Appelbaum, P. et al. Use of Genetic Tests among Neurologists and Psychiatrists: Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Needs for Training. J Genet Counsel 23, 156–163 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-013-9624-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-013-9624-0

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