Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38066555›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2023

The undue influence of genetic information on senior medical students' treatment decisions.

Andrew Stuart Lane, Kate E Lynch, Mark Arnold, Ilan Dar-Nimrod, James Morandini, Stefan A Gawronski, Paul E Griffiths

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Article in BMC medical education, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Andrew Stuart LaneSydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia. stuart.lane@sydney.edu.au.
Kate E LynchDepartment of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
Mark ArnoldSydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
Ilan Dar-NimrodCharles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
James MorandiniSchool of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
Stefan A GawronskiDepartment of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
Paul E GriffithsDepartment of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundKnowledge of the genetic basis of health conditions can influence how the public perceives their own and others' health. When there are known genetic associations for such conditions, genetic essentialist biases facilitate deterministic thinking and an over-emphasis of genetic causality. This study investigates the role that genetic essentialist biases play in medical decision-making.

methodsSenior postgraduate medical students (N = 102) read a scenario in which a patient presents with gastroenterological symptoms. Half of the students were told that the patient tested positive for HLADQ2 - a gene implicated in, but not deterministic of, coeliac disease. The other half received no genetic information. Students were assessed on their recommendations for investigation and management using a multiple-choice questionnaire. Twenty-two of these students participated in a qualitative follow-up which used focus groups and semi-structured interviews to explore the reasoning behind students' responses.

resultsManagement recommendations differed between the two groups, with those receiving genetic information more likely to recommend a gluten free diet. Recommendations for further investigation did not differ significantly between groups. Interviews suggested that these findings arose despite the students' good understanding of the common non-deterministic nature of genes, such as HLADQ2.

conclusionDifferences in management recommendations suggest that the inclusion of genetic information unduly biased students towards a premature diagnosis of a serious health condition, coeliac disease. Follow-up interviews introduced the possibility that observed manipulation-based differences may have been based on anticipated expectations of examiners, rather than perceived future clinical practice. Based on the present results it is unclear whether intentional exam-taking strategies fully account for medical students' decisions, or if they contribute in addition to the activation of genetic essentialist biases. Further research in clinical settings may ascertain whether genetic essentialist biases would truly influence medical student and doctors within their clinical practice environment.

Indexed as

Celiac DiseaseStudents, MedicalFocus GroupsHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesGenetic essentialismMedical management biasSenior medical students

Identifiers

PMID38066555
PMCPMC10709879

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.