Are Practicing and Future Physicians Prepared to Obtain Informed Consent? The Case of Genetic Testing forSusceptibility to Breast Cancer

Objective: To assess practicing and future physicians’ preparedness to obtain informed consent for cancer susceptibility testing. Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 601 Maryland physicians and 513 first- and fourth-year medical students. Results: Two thirds of students, but only 56% of physicians considered it very important to obtain informed consent for BRCA1 testing (p < 0.05). Forty-six percent of fourth-year students, but only 26% of first-year students and 30% of physicians could calculate the positive predictive value of a BRCA1 test (p < 0.001). A minority of respondents would offer testing for inappropriate indications. Conclusion: Failure to consider informed consent important, to understand the uncertainty of predictive test results, and to recognize when testing is inappropriate are barriers to informed consent. Although current medical training may be reducing some barriers, increased attention to these topics in medical school curricula is suggested.