Table 3.
Characteristics of Internists Who Ordered a Genetic Test in Past 6 Months
| Ordered Genetic Test (N v. Y) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No % (n) | Yes % (n) | p | |
| MD Demographics | |||
| Gender | 0.071 | ||
| Male | 48.8% (40) | 51.2% (42) | |
| Female | 62.4% (58) | 37.6% (35) | |
| Age | 0.084 | ||
| 20–29 | 62.5% (5) | 37.5% (3) | |
| 30–39 | 52.9% (45) | 47.1% (40) | |
| 40–49 | 74.2% (23) | 25.8% (8) | |
| 50–59 | 37.5% (9) | 62.5% (15) | |
| 60+ | 60.7% (17) | 39.3% (11) | |
| Completed medical training decade | NS | ||
| 1960–1969 | 80.0% (4) | 20.0% (1) | |
| 1970–1979 | 60.0% (9) | 40.0% (6) | |
| 1980–1989 | 40.0% (10) | 60.0% (15) | |
| 1990–1999 | 60.9% (14) | 39.1% (9) | |
| 2000–2009 | 59.1% (52) | 40.9% (36) | |
| 2010–2019 | 14.3% (1) | 85.7% (6) | |
| Still in training | 50.0% (1) | 50.0% (1) | |
| Ethnicity | NS | ||
| White | 54.9% (67) | 45.1% (55) | |
| African-American | 50.0% (3) | 50.0% (3) | |
| Asian-Pacific Islander | 56.4% (22) | 43.6% (17) | |
| Hispanic | 66.7% (4) | 33.3% (2) | |
| Other | 80.0% (4) | 20.0% (1) | |
| Patient Demographics | |||
| Percent White | 0.056 | ||
| <50% | 61% (75) | 39% (48) | |
| >50% | 43.9% (18) | 56.1% (23) | |
| Percent African-American | 0.027 | ||
| <10% | 44.2% (23) | 55.8% (29) | |
| >10% | 62.7% (69) | 37.3% (41) | |
| Percent Asian Pacific Islander | 0.081 | ||
| <5% | 66% (33) | 34% (17) | |
| >5% | 50% (35) | 50% (35) | |
| Percent Hispanic | NS | ||
| <25% | 52.9% (27) | 47.1% (24) | |
| >25% | 58.3% (67) | 41.7% (48) | |
| Work setting | 0.096 | ||
| Hospital-based | 56.5% (78) | 43.5% (60) | |
| Community-based | 35.3% (6) | 64.7% (11) | |
| Combination of hospital/community-based | 69.6% (16) | 30.4% (7) | |
| Number active patients in practice | 0.032 | ||
| Less than 100 | 70.3% (26) | 29.7% (11) | |
| 100–499 | 53.4% (31) | 46.6% (27) | |
| 500–1000 | 62.5% (20) | 37.5% (12) | |
| Over 1000 | 33.3% (8) | 66.7% (16) | |
| Percent of Medicaid patients | NS | ||
| <25% | 52.2% (35) | 47.8% (32) | |
| >25% | 57.6% (53) | 42.4% (39) | |
| Percent of Medicare patients | NS | ||
| <25% | 53.4% (31) | 46.6% (27) | |
| >25% | 57.8% (59) | 42.2% (43) | |
| Percent patients with private insurance | NS | ||
| <25% | 63.6% (42) | 36.4% (24) | |
| >25% | 53.8% (43) | 46.3% (37) | |
| Percent patients with no insurance | NS | ||
| <5% | 52.3% (34) | 47.7% (31) | |
| >5% | 64.2% (43) | 35.8% (24) | |
| MD/Patient Experience with Genetic Testing | |||
| Received ads from labs | 0.062 | ||
| No | 60.5% (78) | 39.5% (51) | |
| Yes | 44.9% (22) | 55.1% (27) | |
| Pts asked about genetic testing in past 6 mo. | <0.001 | ||
| No | 75.6% (65) | 24.4% (21) | |
| Yes | 37.5% (33) | 62.5% (55) | |
| How concerned about genetic privacy | NS | ||
| Not very concerned | 61.0% (25) | 39.0% (16) | |
| Somewhat concerned | 56.2% (50) | 43.8% (39) | |
| Very concerned | 53.2% (25) | 46.8% (22) | |
| Use method to hide/disguise genetic information | NS | ||
| No | 57.1% (96) | 42.9% (72) | |
| Yes | 37.5% (3) | 62.5% (5) | |
| Pts reported genetic discrimination | 0.044 | ||
| No | 58.1% (97) | 41.9% (70) | |
| Yes | 0% (0) | 100.0% (3) | |
| MD Experience with Genetic Testing/Counseling | |||
| Have counseled pts on genetic issues past 6 mo. | <0.001 | ||
| No | 77.4% (48) | 22.6% (14) | |
| Yes | 45.2% (52) | 54.8% (63) | |
| Have referred pts to geneticist/genetic counselor past 6 mo. | <0.001 | ||
| No | 72.0% (77) | 28.0% (30) | |
| Yes | 29.9% (20) | 70.1% (47) | |
| Have geneticist/genetic counselor for referral | 0.002 | ||
| No | 69.1% (56) | 30.9% (25) | |
| Yes | 46.2% (43) | 53.8% (50) | |
| Current practice genetic testing performed | NS | ||
| More often | 56.4% (53) | 43.6% (41) | |
| Less often | 50.0% (6) | 50.0% (6) | |
| About the same | 58.2% (39) | 41.8% (28) | |
| Spend more time on pts family histories | NS | ||
| No | 58.9% (43) | 41.1% (30) | |
| Yes | 53.5% (53) | 46.5% (46) | |
| MD Knowledge of Genetic Testing | |||
| Knowledge of genetics | NS | ||
| Very poor/Somewhat poor | 58.9% (76) | 41.1% (53) | |
| Somewhat good/Good/Very good | 46.5% (20) | 53.5% (23) | |
| Knowledge of guidelines pts genetic testing | NS | ||
| Very poor/Somewhat poor | 57.7% (86) | 42.3% (63) | |
| Somewhat good/Good/Very good | 40.9% (9) | 59.1% (13) | |
| Personally had genetic test | NS | ||
| No | 54.7% (70) | 45.3% (58) | |
| Yes | 58.1% (25) | 41.9% (18) | |
| Comfort ordering/referring testing to pts | 0.073 | ||
| Very uncomfortable/Somewhat uncomfortable | 73.9% (34) | 26.1% (12) | |
| Somewhat comfortable/Comfortable/Very Comfortable | 53.6% (15) | 46.4% (13) | |
| Comfort counseling pts on genetic testing | 0.019 | ||
| Very uncomfortable/Somewhat uncomfortable | 60.3% (85) | 39.7% (56) | |
| Somewhat comfortable/Comfortable/Very Comfortable | 37.5% (12) | 62.5% (20) | |
| MD Views on Genetic Testing Training | |||
| More training when to order genetic testing | NS | ||
| No | 51.4% (19) | 48.6% (18) | |
| Yes | 57.4% (78) | 42.6% (58) | |
| More training how to order genetic testing | NS | ||
| No | 46.7% (14) | 53.3% (16) | |
| Yes | 58.0% (83) | 42.0% (60) | |
| More training counseling pts on genetic testing options | NS | ||
| No | 56.3% (18) | 43.8% (14) | |
| Yes | 56.0% (79) | 44.0% (62) | |
| More training interpreting test results | NS | ||
| No | 53.8% (21) | 46.2% (18) | |
| Yes | 56.7% (76) | 43.3% (58) | |
| More training maintaining genetic privacy | NS | ||
| No | 51.4% (18) | 48.6% (17) | |
| Yes | 57.7% (79) | 42.3% (58) | |
| Genetic education day-long conference | NS | ||
| No | 59.6% (59) | 40.4% (40) | |
| Yes | 50.0% (34) | 50.0% (34) | |
| Genetic education grand rounds | NS | ||
| No | 63.0% (17) | 37.0% (10) | |
| Yes | 53.5% (76) | 46.5% (66) | |
| Genetic education mailed information | NS | ||
| No | 53.3% (32) | 46.7% (28) | |
| Yes | 56.5% (61) | 43.5% (47) | |
| Genetic education online information | NS | ||
| No | 37.5% (6) | 62.5% (10) | |
| Yes | 57.3% (86) | 42.7% (64) | |
| Knowledge of how to order and where to send tests* | 0.029 | ||
| One a scale of 1–5 (with 1 the least and 5 the most) | 3.15 ± 1.30 | 2.68 ± 1.45 | |
*
Note: T-test used in this univariate analysis (Mean and standard deviation was reported for this continuous variable. The corresponding p-value indicated by T-test is for the comparison of the two groups). Chi-squared used in all other univariate analyses in this table.