Funded by Department of Veterans Affairs
Funding Years: 2009-2012
Because CRC-predictive genetic tests offer the potential to optimize CRC screening efforts, improving the communication and use of such tests by the millions of veterans who are screened for CRC each year could result in both improved cancer surveillance and more efficient (and potentially reduced) VA resource utilization. Our study will provide empirical data about practical risk communication methods that can be used in the future by VA clinicians to present genetic tests to veterans and about patient-level barriers which will inhibit acceptance of genetic tests that predict colorectal cancer risk within the VA patient population. By evaluating alternate methods of communicating genetic test results before such tests actually become available, we hope to identify optimal approaches that can be integrated into VA genomics initiatives from the very start.
Angela Fagerlin (PI)