Exploring the use of health information technology in the awareness of genetic testing among individuals with a family history of cancer.

416 Background: Genetic testing plays a critical role in identifying individuals at high risk for certain cancers. Despite its significance, recent studies have demonstrated a lack of genetic testing awareness in the general population. This study aimed to illuminate potential avenues for improving the understanding of cancer genetic testing,specifically the association between health information technology (HIT) use and genetic testing awareness. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzeddata from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Respondents ≥18 years with a family history of cancer were eligible. We excluded respondents without an electronic device or with a prior cancer diagnosis. HIT use (yes vs. no) was defined as having used electronic devices to look up health information, fill prescriptions, schedule medical appointments, or communicate with a health provider. The outcome measure was awareness of cancer genetic testing (yes vs. no). Descriptive statistics was used to compare baseline characteristics by HIT use. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% CIs. Results: Among a total of 2,075 respondents, 1,772 (85.4%) used one form of HIT and only 830 (40.0%) were aware of cancer genetic testing. The median age of the study population was 47 years. Patients who used HIT were younger, female, insured, married, had a relatively higher level of education and better access to a primary care provider. On multivariable analysis, overall HIT use was associated with increased awareness of cancer genetic testing, though not statistically significant (AOR 1.76; 95% CI: 0.82, 3.75). Stratifying by subgroups, having used HIT to communicate with doctors (AOR 0.83; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.05), check test results (AOR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.08), look up health information online (AOR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.22), or make health appointments (AOR 0.90; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.05) was not significantly associated with increased awareness of cancer genetic testing. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of HIT use, with no statistically significant associations with awareness of genetic testing among individuals with a family history of cancer. Findings prompt a reevaluation of other targeted health educational strategies to close the knowledge gap of cancer genetic testing for this high-risk population.