Computer Education for Breast Cancer Genetic Testing

The long term goal of this project is to improve patient understanding about breast cancer risk and genetic testing. This project will conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a CD-ROM, called 'Counseling by Computer: Breast Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing', at educating women about breast cancer risk, and options and implications of genetic testing. This project will take 36 months to complete and involves two specific aims: 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the CD-ROM at educating women about breast cancer risk, and the options and implications of genetic testing through a randomized, pretest-posttest control-group, crossover trial of 210 patients at three study sites. [In preparation for this trial, 40 women (at least 1/4 of whom are minorities) will be recruited from a general internal medical clincial and breast cancer support group to evaluate the useability and effectiveness of the CD-ROM. This feedback will be used to refine the CD-ROM and study instruments.]; and 2) to evaluate the impact of a prior computer- based educational session on subsequent interactions between patients and genetic counselors. Comparisons will be made between those educated by a genetic counselor alone, and those educated by a computer prior to their session with a genetic counselor, by measuring: the amount of time spent with a genetic counselor; the quality and quantity of questions directed to the genetic counselor; patient's and genetic counselor's satisfaction; and perceived effectiveness of the counseling session. (Member of CGSC. Co-Funded by NCI)