Educating the public about genetics.
Genetic literacy in today’s genomics-centric society means more than simply understanding terms and concepts; it means being able to interpret and apply genomic information in personal, societal, and professional contexts – hence its significance at all levels of education.
Studies show that those with higher education levels tend to be more knowledgeable about genetics – this holds true across gender lines. Unfortunately, an unfortunate majority of the public still lacks knowledge regarding this field and its implications can have severe ramifications for both patients and providers alike.
Low genetic literacy can result in misguided decisions regarding health care, such as choosing risky treatments or forgoing testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) due to fears of discrimination. Furthermore, low literacy may cause people to trust inaccurate sources and believe myths regarding genetic biotechnology, such as GMOs being harmful or toxic or the idea that mRNA editing could bring back dinosaurs from extinction.
As part of an effort to increase genetic literacy, several initiatives are currently in motion. One such effort is the Genetic Literacy, Education and Empowerment Initiative (GLEE), with its strategic planning meeting held on March 2017. Participants discussed activities for GLEE that target three audiences: K-16 students, general public members and healthcare providers; among these are creating educational resources, developing curricula for K-16 students, training genetic counselors as well as incorporating genetics into existing health care practice practices.
Educating the medical community.
Education of healthcare providers about genetics is essential, particularly those already working in the field. Medical students receiving instruction about genetics will likely become doctors more aware of its role in disease, and will hopefully be better able to care for patients as a result. Furthermore, education on genetics improves communication with both patients and family members regarding risks of different conditions.
Public health nurses (PHNs) often interact directly with the general population, making them an ideal way to increase genetic knowledge among their constituents. Unfortunately, many PHNs lack enough knowledge of genetic disorders and human genetics in order to effectively work with the public. To address this gap, it is imperative that their training in human genetics be enhanced.
Studies involving nongenetic healthcare professionals and their education on genetics/genomics programs have been undertaken, often focused on measuring changes in participant’s knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and practice skills as a result of genetics/genomics education programs.
Studies that incorporate genetics/genomics into work-related curricula can be effective at increasing PHNs’ knowledge and understanding of human genetics. Many of these studies enrolled only small numbers of participants; few also provided demographic information like age or years in practice. Yet their results all suggest similar conclusions: that such programs improve knowledge of and understanding for human genetics among nurses.
Education on genetics/genomics is key to increasing public genetitc literacy. A multifaceted approach must be employed, including training health care professionals, spreading awareness, and providing educational materials. Unfortunately, such programs require considerable resources and time; fortunately there are organizations committed to making genetics/genomics education readily available to both the general public and health care providers alike.
Educating patients.
Wave Life Sciences, a clinical-stage genetic medicines company, today announced a partnership agreement with GSK to advance oligonucleotide therapeutics targeting hereditary diseases. The partnership involves both discovery collaboration and co-development up to eight programs using GSK’s deep insight into human genetics with Wave’s proprietary PRISM platform. Wave and GSK plan to collaborate on preclinical program WVE-006, their first-in-class RNA editing therapeutic targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency; regulatory feedback should come mid-2026 (Nasdaq:WVE). (Nasdaq:WVE).
Educating healthcare providers.
As genomics becomes a larger part of healthcare practice, it has become more essential for healthcare professionals – including physicians and non-genetic health professionals involved in providing care for people with genetic disorders – to receive access to appropriate and needs-based genetic education. This includes access for the general public (including patients themselves).
This Research Topic seeks to provide an overview of current activities and options for genetics education. Unfortunately, no comprehensive studies exist assessing educational programs on genetics across all levels of medical education; Majstorovic et al’s original research article reports on compulsory basic and clinical medical genetics education at medical faculties across six Balkan countries with Slavic languages (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia Serbia and Slovenia).
Genomics cuts across every specialty and profession, providing healthcare providers with insights that they use on a regular basis or only occasionally. Some healthcare providers utilize genomics daily in their work, while other may utilise it less often. We aim to support healthcare professionals of all backgrounds when it comes to genomic knowledge by offering educational resources like webinars, glossaries, fact sheets, self-study activities and guides – many of which offer CME credits – at Ambry Genetics that translate scientific research into clinically actionable test results based on human genes as well as how they relate to disease.
