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What Facilitates or Impedes Family Communication Following Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk? A Systematic Review and Meta‐Synthesis of Primary Qualitative Research
Author(s) -
Chivers Seymour Kim,
AddingtonHall Julia,
Lucassen Anneke M.,
Foster Claire L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1007/s10897-010-9296-y
Subject(s) - cinahl , psycinfo , genetic testing , closeness , medline , psychological intervention , genetic counseling , qualitative research , nursing research , medicine , relevance (law) , cochrane library , systematic review , nursing , family medicine , psychology , meta analysis , clinical psychology , genetics , mathematical analysis , social science , mathematics , sociology , biology , political science , law
To systematically review and meta‐synthesise primary qualitative research findings regarding family communication following genetic testing of cancer risk, in order to inform development of effective interventions. Systematic searches of CINAHL, Embase, Medline, British Nursing Index and PsycINFO databases were undertaken and relevant studies identified using strict criteria. The selected primary qualitative studies were appraised for quality and relevance by three independent researchers and then synthesized using a “Framework” approach. Fourteen (4.3%) studies met the inclusion criteria. The following factors influenced family communication following genetic testing for late‐onset hereditary cancer: the informant's feelings about informing relatives about genetic testing; the perceived relevance of the information to other family members and their anticipated reactions; the “closeness” of relationships within the family; family rules and patterns (e.g., who is best placed to share information with whom); finding the right time and level of disclosure; and the supportive role of heath care professionals. The themes identified in this review could provide practitioners with a useful framework for discussing family communication with those undergoing genetic testing. This framework focuses on helping health care professionals to facilitate family communication. The next step will be the development of an intervention to directly support people in talking to their relatives.