Identifying General Practitioners, Nurses, and Pharmacists Training Needs in Precision Medicine: A Survey Study

Introduction: The clinical advances of precision medicine, elevating clinical decision-making through use of genetic and genomic data, lifestyle, and environment factors, is improving patient outcomes. Health care professionals report they are not competent or confident to deliver precision medicine to patients. To design continuing education for advanced practice nurses, general practitioners, and pharmacists, this research investigates perceived knowledge, importance, and self-efficacy in precision medicine. Methods: Items were informed from results of a literature review and focus group study. A one-sample t test was used to compare differences for each item toward the theoretical neutral value (indifferent in our case, to number 3). To analyze differences between professions, parametric analyses of variance (ANOVA) was used. Results: A lack of time, further complicated by a lack of knowledge about precision medicine services, and how to safely share patient data, with a perceived limited network of professionals in precision medicine were reported. Respondents demonstrated low confidence in precision medicine topics while indicating a willingness to pursue training aimed at improving their genetic and genomic competencies. Participants rated topics as only slightly important to their current professional roles. No significant differences were found across professional groups. Discussion: Flexible formats for continuing education aligned to needs are required to target the knowledge and skills gap in precision medicine. Improved knowledge on topics including ethics, legal frameworks, and precision services is needed. Effective educational interventions aimed at enhancing the confidence and competence of health care professionals are essential to making precision care a reality for patients.