Literacy, expectations, and satisfaction of psychiatric pharmacogenetic testing in youth receiving pharmacological treatment for a mental health condition
Date
2024-06-24
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Abstract
Background: Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing uses a person’s DNA to inform prescribing. Despite established clinical benefits, patient literacy, expectations, and satisfaction with PGx testing is unclear, particularly in youth. This study assessed literacy, expectations, and satisfaction of PGx testing among youth receiving pharmacotherapy for a mental health condition and explored associations between these factors. I hypothesized higher PGx literacy would be associated with lower expectations of PGx testing benefits. I also hypothesized that expectations of testing would be associated with satisfaction, according to the Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory (EDT). Methods: A nested, pre-post, quasi-experimental research design was employed. Using EDT and collaborating with patient partners, measures of patient expectations and satisfaction with PGx testing were developed and psychometrically evaluated among 41 participants aged 12-24 seeking PGx testing before initiating or changing a psychiatric medication. Following psychometric evaluation, 175 youth (n=175) aged 11-24 were administered the expectations and a PGx literacy survey prior to PGx testing. Descriptive data was also collected. Hypothesis testing was performed using ordinal logistic regression models adjusted for key covariates. Thirty-four youth (n=34) were also administered the satisfaction survey 2 months after receipt of PGx test results. Results: The expectations and satisfaction surveys were tested for reliability (Cronbach’s alpha =0.703 and 0.846, respectively), content validity (content validation ratio>0.50 for all items), and construct validity (satisfaction items rho>0.60; expectation items rho=0.02-0.67). Hypothesis testing found PGx literacy was not associated with PGx testing expectations related to finding the right medication or dose, but higher literacy was associated with lower expectations of feeling better faster (p=0.025) and reduced medication side-effects (p=0.045). High levels of satisfaction with PGx testing were reported (97.06% satisfied). Consequently, there was insufficient variance to assess an association between expectations and satisfaction. Conclusion: Higher PGx literacy is associated with lower expectations that PGx testing will help people feel better and that PGx testing will reduce new or existing side-effects. Initiatives to boost PGx literacy may assist in the management of youth expectations toward PGx testing. Satisfaction with PGx testing was found to be high. Further research is needed to assess what factors contribute to youth expectations and satisfaction with PGx testing.
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Keywords
pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, patient perspectives, satisfaction, expectations, health literacy
Citation
Oomen, A. J. (2024). Literacy, expectations, and satisfaction of psychiatric pharmacogenetic testing in youth receiving pharmacological treatment for a mental health condition (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.