EDUCATING PATIENTS ABOUT CYSTIC-FIBROSIS CARRIER SCREENING IN A PRIMARY-CARE SETTING

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of education about cystic fibro sis carrier screening in a primary care setting. Design: Participants were asked to read a brochure, and were offered cystic fibrosis carrie r screening. They were assessed for knowledge after reading the brochu re and again after having an opportunity to ask questions and reread t he brochure at home, at which time consent for testing was obtained. S etting: Two sites of a health maintenance organization in the Baltimor e, Md. area. Participants: Enrollees in a health maintenance organizat ion, aged 18 to 44 years. Of 608 enrollees approached, 477 completed a n initial knowledge questionnaire, and 143 consented to testing. Main Outcome Measure: Change in knowledge score. Results: Knowledge scores improved from a mean of 69% correct initially to 75% at the time of co nsent (P<.01, Student's paired t test). When participants were stratif ied by educational attainment, significant improvement was observed on ly for participants with no more than a high school education. However , their final knowledge score was significantly lower than that of col lege graduates. Conclusions: For people with more formal education, pr inted materials augmented by a chance to ask questions may be sufficie nt to ensure informed consent. For less well-educated persons, additio nal education may be necessary to ensure understanding of difficult co ncepts.