Using Visual Arrays to Support Understanding of Genetic Risk

Stephanie B. Seminara, MD

Status: Completed

Conditions: Decision Aid

Treatments: Behavioral: Visual Array; Behavioral: Narrative Visual Array

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06994832

P50HD104224 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2025P000889

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to understand how people understand risk from genetic testing. The investigators want to understand what visual aid best helps people accurately assess risk. The investigators also want to understand how people relate risk to their health. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

1. Which visual aid most accurately show genetic risk?
2. How do people perceive risk related to genetic test results?
3. What factors are associated with people discussing their results with family?

Participants will:

1. receive of of two visual aids showing risk
2. state their estimation of risk
3. answer questions about how they feel about risk and sharing information with family

Full description

This study aims to determine what visual aid helps people most accurately interpret risk from genetic test results. The study also examines how people perceive risk using the Tripartite Risk Model. Last, the study examines factors that are associated with intention to share genetic test results with family members.

Participants will provide brief sociodemographic information, complete brief health literacy and numeracy assessments, and questions about how they perceive risk. Participants will be informed of a genetic testing scenario and will receive one of two visual aids. After reviewing the visual aid, participants will state the risk shown in the visual aid and will answer questions about their perceived risk and sharing results with family members (blood relatives).

Enrollment: 1,045 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• ability to read and understand English
• opt-in consent

Exclusion criteria

• incorrect responses to validation questions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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1,045 participants in 2 patient groups

Visual Array

Experimental group

Description:

Single, side-by-side visual array

Treatment:

Behavioral: Visual Array

Narrative Visual Array

Experimental group

Description:

Evolving narrative showing sequential visual arrays

Treatment:

Behavioral: Narrative Visual Array