Broadening the Reach, Impact, and Delivery of Genetic Services (BRIDGE)

The purpose of this study is to compare the uptake of genetic testing among patients randomized with two different models of genetic services delivery (a patient-directed model and an enhanced standard of care model) and examine whether the impact on uptake differs by race/ethnicity and rurality. This study will also compare the effect of these delivery models on adherence to cancer prevention and screening recommendations and other patient responses.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cancer; Risk Reduction Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Patient Directed Standard of Care

Detailed Description

Patient Screening: A comprehensive screening algorithm will identify patients with family history data in various sections of the electronic health record (EHR) who meet current genetic testing criteria. Randomization to study arm (Enhanced Standard of Care or Patient-Directed Standard of Care) will be at the level of the primary care clinic.

Enhanced Standard of Care Patients will be offered the opportunity to schedule a pre-test genetic counseling visit. Pre-test counseling includes review of the family history, risk assessment, discussion of the purpose of genetic testing and possible outcomes, implications for insurance coverage, costs, and assessment of psychosocial needs. Patients can opt to proceed with genetic testing during this session. All test results are returned by a genetic counselor by phone or in person based on the patient preference. A copy of the results and a letter with tailored screening recommendations are returned to the primary care provider and patient via the patient portal or mail.

Patient-Directed Standard of Care The pre-test genetic counseling visit will be conducted through access to an automated genetics education assistant accessed through the patient portal of the electronic health record. The automated approach will address all the components of the pre-test counseling and contains content designed by the genetic counselors at the University of Utah and NYU (New York University). Patients will have the option to contact genetic counselors through the patient portal, by phone, or in person but this will not be required. All results will be reviewed by a genetic counselor. Negative results will be returned by the automated genetics education assistant. Genetic counselors will return results for pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance via phone. A copy of the results and a letter with tailored screening recommendations will be provided to the patient and primary care provider via the patient portal.

All patients will be offered the option to schedule follow-up appointments in the genetics clinics.

Genetic Testing:

Genetic testing will be performed by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)- certified, commercial laboratories based on standard clinical practice. Genetic testing will not be required to participate in the research questionnaires.

Research Procedures:

Two follow-up questionnaires will be sent via the patient portal following interaction with genetic counseling:

i. Questionnaire #1: For participant who chose to receive genetic testing, a questionnaire will be sent approximately 4 weeks after their genetic results are returned. Through this questionnaire investigators will assess cognitive (i.e., recall, comprehension, uncertainty, risk perceptions), affective (i.e., test-related distress, positive reactions, decision regret), communication responses (i.e., family, provider), experience with genetic counseling, and sociodemographic characteristics. For those who chose not to test, a questionnaire will be sent approximately 4 weeks after last genetic service contact. In this questionnaire investigators will assess experience with genetic counseling, reason for not testing, decision regret, risk perceptions, and sociodemographic characteristics including numeracy.

ii. Questionnaire #2: A questionnaire will be administered approximately 12 months after last genetic services contact. For those who chose to test, this questionnaire will ask about discussion of their test results with their primary care provider, family members, or others, and self-reported use of cancer screenings. For those who decide not to receive genetic testing, investigators will assess the self-reported use of cancer screenings, whether genetic testing was pursued at another time or through another source, communication with family members, and whether other relatives had received testing.

For any participants who would like to complete questionnaires by telephone, a genetic counseling assistant or research coordinator will administer the questionnaire. Calls will be digitally recorded to allow for analysis of comprehension. Each questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete. Participants may also complete the questionnaires by mail if they choose.

In addition to the questionnaires, investigators will examine screenings, care or health procedures related to genetic services recorded in the electronic health record to determine if an impact is made because of participation in genetic services.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 3073
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10016
      • NYU School of Medicine
  • Utah
    • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84112
      • University of Utah

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Speaks English or Spanish

AND

• First degree relative or second degree relative diagnosed with the following regardless of age: Ovarian Cancer, Pancreas Cancer

OR

• First degree relative or second degree relative diagnosed with the following <50 years of age: Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Endometrial Cancer.

OR

• Three of more relatives on the same side of the family diagnosed with the following clusters of cancer regardless of age:

  • Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreas Cancer, Prostate Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreas Cancer, Urinary tract, Brain, Small intestine
  • Melanoma, Pancreas Cancer

OR

• Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and family history of Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreas Cancer, Prostate Cancer.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a prior cancer diagnosis, other than non-melanoma skin cancer, and/or prior genetic counseling or testing related to hereditary cancer.
• Patients unable to access the patient portal

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Patient Directed Standard of Care; Patients receive pre-test genetic counseling and, if relevant, post-test counseling for a negative result from an automated genetics education assistant.	Other: Patient Directed Standard of Care; The pre-test genetic counseling visit will be conducted through access to an automated genetics education assistant accessed through the patient portal. The automated approach will address all the components of the pre-test counseling and contains content designed by the genetic counselors at the University of Utah and NYU. Patients will have the option to contact genetic counselors through the patient portal, by phone, or in person but this will not be required. All results will be reviewed by a genetic counselor. Negative results will be returned by the automated genetics education assistant. Genetic counselors will return results for pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance via phone.
No Intervention: Enhanced Standard of Care; Patients receive standard counseling from a genetic counselor.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Completion of Genetic Testing From Electronic Health Record	Percentage of patients who decide to receive genetic testing	1 month following pre-test genetic counseling

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Completion of Pre-test Genetic Counseling From Electronic Health Record	Percentage of patients who decide to receive pre-test genetic counseling	1 month after study invitation
Adherence to Colonoscopy: Questionnaire	Adherence to colonoscopy: questionnaire data	8 weeks and 13 months from pre-test counseling

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Utah
• Collaborators: New York University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kimberly Kaphingst, PhD, University of Utah

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kaphingst KA, Kohlmann W, Chambers RL, Goodman MS, Bradshaw R, Chan PA, Chavez-Yenter D, Colonna SV, Espinel WF, Everett JN, Gammon A, Goldberg ER, Gonzalez J, Hagerty KJ, Hess R, Kehoe K, Kessler C, Kimball KE, Loomis S, Martinez TR, Monahan R, Schiffman JD, Temares D, Tobik K, Wetter DW, Mann DM, Kawamoto K, Del Fiol G, Buys SS, Ginsburg O; BRIDGE research team. Comparing models of delivery for cancer genetics services among patients receiving primary care who meet criteria for genetic evaluation in two healthcare systems: BRIDGE randomized controlled trial. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 Jun 2;21(1):542. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06489-y.
• Bather JR, Goodman MS, Harris A, Del Fiol G, Hess R, Wetter DW, Chavez-Yenter D, Zhong L, Kaiser-Jackson L, Chambers R, Bradshaw R, Kohlmann W, Colonna S, Espinel W, Monahan R, Buys SS, Ginsburg O, Kawamoto K, Kaphingst KA; BRIDGE research team. Social vulnerability and genetic service utilization among unaffected BRIDGE trial patients with inherited cancer susceptibility. BMC Cancer. 2025 Jan 31;25(1):180. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-13495-4.
• Kaphingst KA, Kohlmann WK, Lorenz Chambers R, Bather JR, Goodman MS, Bradshaw RL, Chavez-Yenter D, Colonna SV, Espinel WF, Everett JN, Flynn M, Gammon A, Harris A, Hess R, Kaiser-Jackson L, Lee S, Monahan R, Schiffman JD, Volkmar M, Wetter DW, Zhong L, Mann DM, Ginsburg O, Sigireddi M, Kawamoto K, Del Fiol G, Buys SS. Uptake of Cancer Genetic Services for Chatbot vs Standard-of-Care Delivery Models: The BRIDGE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Sep 3;7(9):e2432143. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.32143.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 19, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): August 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 6, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): June 14, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 22, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 31, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Neoplasms; Risk Reduction Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB_00115509

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No