Patient and provider perceptions of pharmacogenetic testing in gynecologic surgery: a cross-sectional analysis

To determine Penn Medicine patients’ and gynecologic providers’ knowledge and attitudes about pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing. In this cross-sectional study, surveys were distributed to patients and gynecologic surgeons who participated in a randomized, prospective, open-label pilot study using PGx results to assist in the selection of postoperative analgesic medications. The primary objective was to understand patient- and provider-level factors that impact PGx test adoption. A majority (67%) of patients planned to share their results with their healthcare providers, and many patients (52%) were interested in having a PGx specialist further explain their results. Few (12%) gynecologic surgeons were confident in their ability to use PGx results to guide medication prescribing. The most common barrier identified was lack of training or experience with PGx testing (91%). Patients want to share their results with their providers and desire further explanation. However, gynecologic surgeons do not feel prepared to utilize these PGx results to make prescribing decisions. Therefore, efforts focused on PGx education for physicians are essential prior to implementing testing into clinical practice.