Electronic health record tools to help diverse women get genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
Electronic health record (EHR)-based implementation strategies and decision support for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) genetic testing among multiethnic women (ELISABETH)
This project adds EHR prompts and online decision tools to help diverse women and their doctors recognize who should get BRCA and related genetic testing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291273 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be offered an online decision aid called RealRisks that explains hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk and testing options, while your provider may receive BNAV prompts and guidance through the clinic's electronic health record. The team will embed these patient and provider tools into primary care and mammography workflows and track whether more eligible women complete genetic testing. The work focuses on multiethnic and lower-income women who are currently less likely to receive appropriate testing. It builds on earlier randomized trials of these tools and tests how well they work when integrated into real clinic systems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adult women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds seen in participating primary care or mammography clinics who have personal or family histories suggesting hereditary breast/ovarian cancer are the best match.
Not a fit: People who already had genetic testing, who lack personal or family risk factors, or who do not receive care at participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help more eligible women be identified and complete genetic testing so they can pursue earlier screening or risk-reducing choices.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier randomized trials of the team's decision aids (RealRisks for patients and BNAV for providers) showed improved knowledge and testing in some groups, though broad EHR-based implementation across diverse clinics is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crew, Katherine D — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Crew, Katherine D
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.