Examining Choice Architecture for Genetic Testing Decisions

Boston College

Status: Completed

Conditions: Decision Making

Treatments: Behavioral: opt-in decision frame; Behavioral: choice decision frame; Behavioral: opt-out decision frame; Behavioral: enhanced choice (norms) decision frame; Behavioral: enhanced choice (affect) decision frame; Behavioral: enhanced choice (context) decision frame

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04372888

20.205.01e

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this application is to gain a deeper understanding of decision-making for genetic testing and identify effective choice-architecture-based strategies to improve decisions in genetic testing. The investigators hypothesize that choice architecture (i.e. framing) affects decision-making for hypothetical genetic testing scenarios.

Full description

After providing opt-in electronic consent, eligible consented participants will be randomized to one of two hypothetical genetic testing scenarios (rare, life-altering genetic condition or common, life-threatening genetic condition). The genetic testing scenarios include brief detailed information about genetic testing (i.e. how results may influence treatment decisions) as well as information about standard approaches to treatment. Subjects will be randomized to receive a framing conditions (e.g. choice, opt-in, opt-out, enhanced choice). Participants will select a preferred testing option to the hypothetical scenario and will complete several validated instruments.

Enrollment: 1,012 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult participants (18-64 yrs) residing in North America (who are members of the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform)

Exclusion criteria

• age <18yrs or >65yrs or residing outside of North America

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

1,012 participants in 2 patient groups

rare genetic disease

Other group

Description:

Hypothetical scenario 1: rare, life-altering genetic condition (congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism)

Treatment:

Behavioral: enhanced choice (affect) decision frame

Behavioral: enhanced choice (context) decision frame

Behavioral: enhanced choice (norms) decision frame

Behavioral: opt-out decision frame

Behavioral: choice decision frame

Behavioral: opt-in decision frame

common genetic disease

Other group

Description:

Hypothetical scenario 2: common, life-threatening genetic condition (hereditary breast and ovarian cancer)

Treatment:

Behavioral: enhanced choice (affect) decision frame

Behavioral: enhanced choice (context) decision frame

Behavioral: enhanced choice (norms) decision frame

Behavioral: opt-out decision frame

Behavioral: choice decision frame

Behavioral: opt-in decision frame