Awareness and perceived educational needs regarding personalised medicine: Cross-country differences from a European survey

OBJECTIVES: Health literacy is a well-known determinant of health outcomes and it is shaped by social and economic factors, with lower levels linked to decreased disease-specific knowledge and preventive health service utilization. Given rapid advancements in healthcare technology, particularly the rise of Personalised Medicine (PM) and the proliferation of genetic testing, enhanced health literacy is increasingly essential for making optimal use of these innovations. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 6581 participants from eight European Countries. The survey assessed awareness and perceived educational needs regarding PM and related technologies (genetic testing and digital health solutions) as elements of health literacy. Demographic factors such as age, education level, and geographical origin were analysed to determine their influence on the topics of interest. RESULTS: The findings indicate a high level of awareness regarding genetic testing (80.53%) and digital health solutions (54.29%), but lower familiarity with PM (47.76%). Overall, 41.88% of participants reported a high level of awareness. Despite 71.69% acknowledging the relevance of PM for individual health, a majority found information on the topic difficult to access (65.54%) and felt insufficiently informed (65.29%). Overall, 33.02% indicated that they were sufficiently informed about PM and related technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Educational attainment emerged as a significant factor influencing awareness, with tertiary education being positively associated with higher awareness and lower educational needs in these areas. Additionally, the study revealed significant gender and country-specific variations in health literacy levels, with respondents from Hungary and Netherlands reporting higher awareness and lower educational needs. Amid the exponential increase in health-related information and technologies, the findings underscore the critical need for targeted educational initiatives to improve health literacy and address citizens' needs.