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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Oct 20.
Published in final edited form as: Genet Med. 2008 Jun;10(6):404–414. doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181770184

Table 4. Factors Associated with Physicians’ Having Ever Referred a Patient for Genetic Testing.

Ever Referred to
Genetics Center
or Counselor		 Ever Referred to
Specialist		 Ever Referred to
a Clinical Trial		 Ever Referred to
Any Site of Care		 Ever Ordered or
Ever Referred
N=943 N=941 N=934 N=945 N=945
OR (95% CI)
CHARACTERISTICS OF PHYSICIANS’ PATIENT PANELS
High Proportion Minority
Patients
0.73 (0.45-1.18)
0.63 (0.40-1.00)
0.46 (0.22- 0.96)*
0.60 (0.36-0.99)*
0.61 (0.35-1.07)
High Proportion Medicaid
Patients
0.58 (0.37-0.92)*
0.64 (0.41-1.01)
1.04 (0.58-1.89)
0.49 (0.30-0.80)**
0.60 (0.35-1.05)
High Proportion Patients
with Primary Language
other than English
1.02 (0.65-1.60)
0.76 (0.50-1.18)
0.78 (0.42-1.45)
0.87 (0.54-1.40)
0.91 (0.54-1.55)
High Proportion Uninsured
Patients
0.84 (0.56-1.27)
1.04 (0.70-1.54)
1.28 (0.75-2.19)
0.86 (0.55-1.34)
0.82 (0.51-1.32)
OTHER PRACTICE CHARACTERTICS
Size of Practice
 1-2 Doctors
0.68 (0.48-0.96)*
0.77 (0.54-1.08)
1.01 (0.65-1.57)
0.65 (0.44-0.97)*
0.63 (0.40-1.00)
 ≥ 2 Doctors REF REF REF REF REF
Region
 Northeast
2.17 (1.39-3.39)†
1.26 (0.82-1.93)
1.05 (0.61-1.82)
1.68 (1.03-2.74)*
2.00 (1.16-3.45)*
 Midwest 1.72 (1.15-2.59)** 1.10 (0.74-1.64) 1.27 (0.76-2.13) 1.55 (0.97-2.47) 1.45 (0.85-2.46)
 West 1.29 (0.83-2.00) 0.90 (0.59-1.38) 1.61 (0.92-2.82) 1.18 (0.73-1.92) 1.22 (0.70-2.13)
 South REF REF REF REF REF
PHYSICIAN CHARACTERISTICS
Age
 < 45		 REF REF REF REF REF
 45-64 0.62 (0.43-0.88)** 0.73 (0.52-1.01) 0.97 (0.65-1.45) 0.57 (0.38-0.85)** 0.78 (0.50-1.21)
 ≥ 65 0.23 (0.14-0.40)† 0.35 (0.20-0.59)† 0.56 (0.26-1.17) 0.27 (0.15-0.48)† 0.29 (0.16-0.54)†
Self-Identified Race
 Black
1.38 (0.45-4.21)
1.64 (0.61-4.42)
0.71 (0.13-3.92)
1.77 (0.52-6.00)
3.66 (0.64-20.94)
 Hispanic 0.77 (0.30-1.93) 1.70 (0.73-3.93) 1.55 (0.58-4.16) 1.32 (0.49-3.59) 0.82 (0.30-2.25)
 Asian 0.57 (0.37-0.89)* 1.04 (0.67-1.61) 0.84 (0.46-1.53) 0.79 (0.48-1.28) 0.88 (0.53-1.49)
 Other Race 0.36 (0.15-0.88)* 1.48 (0.57-3.82) 0.86 (0.24-3.06) 1.09 (0.38-3.09) 0.92 (0.30-2.84)
 White REF REF REF REF REF
Specialty
 Family Practice
3.29 (2.40-4.51)†
1.38 (1.02-1.86)*
0.85 (0.57-1.26)
2.56 (1.81-3.61)†
2.15 (1.44-3.20)†
 Internal Medicine REF REF REF REF REF
Full-time Faculty
Appointment
1.60 (0.98-2.62)
1.17 (0.73-1.88)
3.14 (1.76-5.60)†
1.66 (0.97-2.82)
0.95 (0.53-1.72)
PHYSICIAN CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO GENETICS
Received Training in
Clinical Genetics in
Medical School
1.13 (0.82-1.58)
1.56 (1.14-2.13)**
1.01 (0.66-1.55)
1.35 (0.94-1.92)
1.55 (1.04-2.32)*
Received Training in
Clinical Genetics in CME
1.53 (1.11-2.10)**
2.31 (1.70-3.12)†
2.36 (1.58-3.53)†
2.21 (1.56-3.13)†
2.41 (1.61-3.60)†
Accurate Knowledge of
Current Legal Protections
2.45 (1.31-4.58)**
1.94 (1.10-3.41)*
2.20 (1.30-3.72)**
6.13 (2.21-16.99) †
9.75 (2.32-40.97)**
Confident Interpreting
Genetic Test Results
0.89 (0.41-1.90)
0.64 (0.29-1.43)
0.85 (0.36-2.00)
1.12 (0.44-2.84)
0.72 (0.24-2.13)
Feels Prepared to Counsel
Patients Considering a
Genetic Test
1.31 (0.58-2.93)
2.39 (0.98-5.84)
1.50 (0.65-3.47)
2.43 (0.76-7.74)
2.41 (0.59-9.77)
Early Adopter of New
Diagnostic Tests
1.51 (0.97-2.33)
1.20 (0.77-1.87)
1.18 (0.70-1.98)
1.27 (0.76-2.13)
2.66 (1.34-5.25)**
Optimistic that Genetics
Will Improve Treatment
1.08 (0.67-1.73)
1.11 (0.70-1.76)
0.78 (0.41-1.48)
0.99 (0.59-1.65)
0.88 (0.50-1.53)

Note: Also included in model but not shown: practice setting (independent practice versus those practicing in a health maintenance organization, hospital-based practice, community health center or other setting).

*

p<0.05

**

p<0.01

†

p<0.001

Only those respondents for whom there were complete data were included in each regression analysis, with available cases for individual regressions ranging from 934 (83% of full sample) to 945 (84% of full sample) respondents.