Study On The Feasibility Of Applying Gene Testing Service To Community Health Service

Objective: This study aims at understanding the community residents'awareness and intention of gene testing services, its influence factors, also, exploring the health organizations'attitudes towards promoting gene testing services, and the current situation of gene testing services. This program evaluates the feasibility and necessity of applying gene testing services to community healthcare in order to create well circumstances for the development of gene testing services in China.Method:Typical survey methods are uesd in this study, combined with qualitative and quantitative methods. We carried out a questionnaire survey on 1647 residents in Hangzhou communities, and did interview survey with 8 selected health organizations in Hangzhou. Via Internet search, we also interviewed gene testing agencies both in Shanghai and Hangzhou. We choose software SPSS15.0 and Epidata3.02 to do data analysis, including Chi-square analysis and logistic regression.Results:1.Residents'awareness on gene testing is 21.8%, the demanding rate of gene testing is 12.7%, intention of gene testing is 61.9%; Impact factors of intention on gene testing included:illness of family members (OR=1.619,95%CI:1.279-2.049), awareness of gene testing services (OR=2.368,95%CI: 1.782-3.146), family genetic history (OR=2.784,95%CI:1.685-4.600), age (χ2=27.210, P<0.001), attitude on premarital gene testing (χ2=23.185, P<0.001).This five factors have a significant effect on community residents'intention; The top three diseases which residents concern are:cancer (47.1%), cardiovascular disease (37.7%), cerebrovascular disease (29.3%); The first three testing organizations which residents trust are:Hospital/CDC (77.7%), Medical Centers (26.4%), Scientific Research Institutions (13.2%); Easily accepted test methods are:Blood Test (49.95%),Detection of Oral Mucosa (27.28%), Fingertip Blood Assay (22.77%).2. Interviewed Health organizations including Health Bureau, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for public health inspection, Community Health Service centers and Genetic Clinic. All the health organizations have little knowledge on gene testing services, taking a conservative attitude on applying gene testing to Community Health Service.3. In gene testing agency investigation,13 gene testing companies of Shanghai and Hangzhou to be conducted interview survey. In the field of gene testing market, there is no any oversight.Conclusion:1. Awareness and demand rates of the community residents for gene testing services are low, but their intention is strong. Public promotion and education of gene testing services should be strengthened. Further personalized medicine could be carried out among those people who have strong willingness on it; 2. Health organizations know little about gene testing services, which is unsatisfactory. Thus training related to gene testing services is particularly important; 3. Currently, there exist a lot of problems in gene testing agencies when in operation, which are to be solved. Therefore, relevant regulations for better putting gene tests into practices should be issued as soon as possible.4. It's premature that applying gene testing services to the community health service. In the future, we should take advantage of the factors which impact the intention of residents for gene testing services to promote gene testing service.