A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Physicians' Approaches to Caring for Adult Adopted Patients.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Adoption has lifelong health implications for 7.8 million adopted people and their families in the United States. The majority of adoptees have limited family medical history (LFMH). Primary care physicians (PCPs) rarely receive training about adoptees including their mental health needs and increased suicide risk. The growing availability and popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits amplifies the need for PCPs to be prepared to address genetic testing for adoptees with LFMH. This study explores PCP training and approaches to adult adopted patients with LFMH.

Methods

We used critical adoption studies as a theoretical framework for this study to understand how adoptive identity might shape clinical experiences. We recruited PCPs from Minnesota and Rhode I

SUBMITTER: Wexler JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11772026 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature