Implementation of the Ontario Family History Assessment Tool to Identify Patients at Increased Risk for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
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Authors
Reid, Kiersten
Issue Date
2024-04-25
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Background: Breast and ovarian cancers present significant public health challenges in the United States. Genetic mutations in BRCA1/BRCA2 contribute notably to these cancers, yet routine genetic risk assessment is inconsistently implemented, leading to missed opportunities for identifying at-risk individuals.
Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase the use of standardized screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in female. The secondary outcome was to increase referrals for genetic counseling.
Interventions: A standardized screening tool, The Ontario Family History Assessment Tool (FHAT), was implemented during annual wellness examinations of females between the ages of 18 and 60 with no prior history of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer or genetic counseling.
Results: A Two-Tailed Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test revealed a significant difference between pre and post implementation scores with pre implementation scores being significantly lower (p < .001). There was 100% compliance with referral guidelines based on screening scores.
Conclusion: This QI project demonstrated the efficacy of the Ontario-FHAT in improving screening and referral rates for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), highlighting the critical role of standardized tools in early detection and intervention.
Keywords: hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, standardized screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, genetic counseling, BRCA1, BRCA2, genetic screening for hereditary cancer, Ontario Family History Assessment Tool