Patients' experiences of acquiring information related to genomics: A pilot study

Health care professionals recognize that nurses will need to provide a significant proportion of patient education regarding genomics and health care. The research question investigated involved determining factors most important in facilitating patients' understanding of the relation between genomics and their health care status and to examine the quality of the current patient education experience. Methodology involved conducting semistructured interviews with a sample of eight adults diagnosed with congenital heart defects or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy being seen as outpatients. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Data analysis included studying the interviews for compelling themes related to the patient education process. By identifying desirable elements of genomics patient education, future interventions can be adapted to maximize patients' learning experiences.