Date: February 4, 2019

From: Kymberly Gutierrez

Subject: The Communication of Genetics
Topic description: Health literacy is low among average patients, meaning without proper
knowledge of a condition they may have or develop, they will not understand the options of
medical treatments or procedures offered to them. This leads to the question of what is the
average person’s level of health literacy? The subject I wish to focus on in health literacy is
genetics. Currently, genetic testing has spread beyond single-gene disorders to common
diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. How are a patient’s reaction to their genetic testing
results correlated to their level of knowledge of genes? What are the sources of a patient’s
prior knowledge of genetics?
Documentation Style: APA
Tentative List of References:
Parrott, R. L., Worthington, A. K., Smith, R. A., & Chadwick, A. E. (2017, June 08).
Communicating about Genes, Health, and Risk. Retrieved February 4, 2019,
from http://oxfordre.com/communication/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acr
efore-9780190228613-e-8 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Amsen, E. (2018, October 01). Communication in genetic medicine. Retrieved February 4,
2019, from https://www.thetgmi.org/genetics/communication-genetic-medicine/ (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site.
Griffiths, A. J. (1970, January 01). An Introduction to Genetic Analysis. Retrieved February 4,
2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21851/ (Links to an external site.)Links to
an external site.
Rowland, E., & Metcalfe, A. (2013). Communicating inherited genetic risk between parent and
child: A meta-thematic synthesis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50, 870–
880. https://doi-org.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.09.002
Daly, M. B., Montgomery, S., Bingler, R., & Ruth, K. (2016). Communicating genetic test results
within the family: Is it lost in translation? A survey of relatives in the randomized six-step
study. Familial Cancer, (4), 697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10689-016-9889-1 (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.
Lyons-Weiler, J. (2017, January 27). When is "Genetic Autism" Not Genetic? Retrieved February
4, 2019, from https://jameslyonsweiler.com/2017/01/26/when-is-genetic-autism-not-
genetic/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Purpose: As a biology major, I have a wide range of interests, specifically in genetics. I have
also recently realized that not everyone is educated in health, more specifically the subject of
genetics. Genetic testing does not always provide straight forward results, meaning patients
can get confused or have misunderstandings. It is important for people to understand their
results of genetic testing as to not cause panic.
Intended audience: Everyone should be aware of their health literacy. Medical professionals
will be able to benefit from this by taking into account the patient’s health literacy and
providing explanations and sources on their test results. Those taking genetic tests can be
pushed to ask questions on their results without embarrassment.
Preliminary Thesis/Argument: With the evolvement of genetic testing, results will be more
conspicuous, but as for now, it is important for patients to research the subject and continue to
ask questions.
Types of research areas: Although scholarly papers and the internet will both be used,
scholarly papers will be implemented the most. Scholarly articles will provide research and
experiments conducted, as well as the results to those researches. The internet will be able to
provide a solid background on genetics, genetic testing, and of course health literacy.
Graphs or charts:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067558/figure/fig3/ (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site. (Lyson-Weiler)