Abstract A73: Knowledge of precision medicine among African-Americans: A pilot study
Authors: Nguyen Jennifer , Redwine Christina , Gilbert Lauren , Odedina Folakemi 
Published: March 2017

Precision Medicine has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and minimize risk and adverse effects of treatments and medication. During President Obama's State of the Union address in 2015, he highlighted the promise of precision medicine and announced the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). Part of the PMI is the creation of the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort. This program aims to recruit at least one million Americans to contribute their data over the span of many years to improve health outcomes, understand the impact of new treatments, and accelerate a new era of data-drive and precise preventive care and treatment. Precision medicine could address multiple issues we face, including cancer treatment and address health disparities in health disparity populations. However, little is known about health disparities populations' knowledge level of precision medicine. A pilot study was conducted to investigate whether self-identified Blacks/African-Americans could define the following terms in their own words: precision medicine, personalized medicine, and pharmacogenomics. Self-administered surveys were handed out at health fairs, barbershops, salons, and churches throughout the state of Florida and 132 (n=132) individuals responded. Participants were asked to provide demographic data, note whether or not they have heard a particular PMI concept, define the concept in their own word (if familiar with the term), and whether or not precision medicine can improve cancer care and treatment. Sixty-two percent of individuals had a college degree and 71% of respondents were employed. 81% of individuals (n=107) have never heard of pharmacogenomics, 55% (n=73) have never heard of personalized medicine, and 77% (n=102) have never heard of precision medicine. 9% (n=12) believe that precision medicine will improve cancer care and treatment, but n=72 marked “I don't know.” Critical to PMI is the enrollment of citizens into the research cohort. Increasing the diversity of the national research cohort is imperative as there are high levels of health disparities and unnecessary medical spending in our health care setting. Yet, if individuals are not aware of precision medicine and corresponding precision medicine concepts, they are unlikely to volunteer and participate in the PMI. The lack of diversity within clinical trials has caused issues and concerns within the medical community. By ensuring that the PMI cohort is inclusive, diverse, and representative of the American population, its ability to address health disparities will be more effective, efficient, and ethical.

Citation Format: Jennifer Nguyen, Christina Redwine, Lauren Gilbert, Folakemi Odedina. Knowledge of precision medicine among African-Americans: A pilot study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A73.