Knowledge and Attitudes of the Healthcare Providers in the United Arab Emirates toward the Reports of the Pharmacogenomics in Cardiovascular Disease Randomized Clinical Implementation “EmHeart” study: A Cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The “EmHeart” study, a randomized multicenter clinical trial, was launched in 2021 to investigate the implementation of pharmacogenomics (PGx) in the UAE, with a focus on cardiovascular patients taking clopidogrel, warfarin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin. Despite their potential benefits, clinicians’ reluctance to use PGx testing and their results in clinical practice warrants evaluation. The Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) are used in this study to compare attitudes and knowledge among healthcare providers, identify useful and confusing report components, and assess healthcare practitioners’ attitudes toward PGx reports. Methods: A cross-sectional study employing a validated questionnaire to explore physicians’ and pharmacists’ knowledge and attitudes in the UAE. Participant recruitment used the Shafafiya portal with random and convenience sampling approaches. For statistical analysis, the sample size was calculated using the Raosoft website. Data entry and analyses were performed using the statistical package IBM SPSS. The Abu Dhabi Health Research and Technology Ethical Committee provided ethical approval (reference DOH/CVDC/2020/1187). Results: The study included 264 participants, split roughly equally between males and females. Around 50% (131) were between the ages of 25 to 34 years old. Nearly one-third were physicians, and one-third had been practicing healthcare for less than five years. Only 32 (12.1%) were Emirati nationals with the rest being expatriate health care workers, and one-third of the participants had not heard of PGx tests before, and only 5% had ordered a PGx test for their patients. The participants’ overall mean score of the attitude toward the PGx tests was 3.79 (95% CI: 3.74, 3.84). However, the overall mean knowledge score was 71.5 (95% CI: 68.2, 74.8). Conclusions: The findings suggest that direct experience with PGx reports significantly enhances knowledge and attitudes, whether in a real patient context or educational setting. We are, therefore, advocating for targeted educational initiatives and training programs in pharmacogenomics.