Educational needs of primary care physicians in the field of personalised medicine

Abstract

Background: The potential of personalised medicine and the possibility of application at all stages of patient care makes it attractive for primary healthcare. One of the main directions of strategies for personalised medicine implementation is training and empowering doctors in the field, so that they can select the best prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options for each patient. Research question(s): What are the educational needs of primary care physicians in the field of personalised medicine? Methods: To carry out this study, we used the Arksey and O'Malley algorithm to identify the publications that describe knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary care physicians toward personalised medicine. After searching the databases PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar, 85 publications were identified. Further process of selection based on inclusion and exclusion criteria identified 17 relevant articles which were included in this review. Results: Primary care physicians have insufficient knowledge and limited practices with personalised medicine. The barriers perceived by doctors to the application of personalised approaches into clinical practice are the lack of practical clinical guidelines, the lack of accessible tools, and the concern regarding ethical and legal issues. A lack of confidence in own abilities to apply personalised medicine is correlated with a low level of knowledge in the field. The preferred methods for training in the field are very diverse: website, online information platforms, short one-page guides, short audio modules, and continuing medical education events. The most requested information is about the management of the patient with a positive genetic test, data confidentiality, and patient protection. Conclusion(s): The educational needs of primary care doctors in the field of personalised medicine are diverse, and additional research is necessary for the development of educational programs at the national level. Points for discussion: Tools to explore knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care physicians regarding personalised medicine Personalised medicine approaches of interest to primary care.