چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background:At least 10 % of patients seen in primary care are said to have a condition in which genetics has an
influence. However, patients at risk of genetic disease may not be recognised, while those who seek advice may
not be referred or managed appropriately. Primary care practitioners lack knowledge of genetics and genetic
testing relevant for daily practice and feel inadequate to deliver genetic services. The aim of this systematic review
was to evaluate genetics educational interventions in the context of primary care.
Methods:Following the process for systematic reviews developed by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination,
we conducted a search of five relevant electronic databases. Primary research papers were eligible for inclusion if
they included data on outcomes of interventions regarding genetics education for primary care practitioners. The
results from each paper were coded and grouped under themes.
Results:Eleven studies were included in the review. The five major themes identified inductively (post hoc) were:
prior experience, changes in confidence, changes in knowledge, changes in practice, satisfaction and feedback. In
five of the studies, knowledge of practitioners was improved following the educational programmes, but this
tended to be in specific topic areas, while practitioner confidence improved in six studies. However, there was little
apparent change to practice.
Conclusions:There are insufficient studies of relevant quality to inform educational interventions in genetics for
primary care practitioners. Educational initiatives should be assessed using changes in practice, as well as in confidence
and knowledge, to determine if they are effective in causing significant changes in practice in genetic risk assessment
and appropriate management of patients.