biostudies-literatureCampbell-Salome GNational Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteNHLBI NIH HHS340https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10074725biostudies-literatureUnknown23(1)<h4>Background</h4>This project aimed to optimize communication strategies to support family communication about familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and improve cascade testing uptake among at-risk relatives. Individuals and families with FH provided feedback on multiple strategies including: a family letter, digital tools, and direct contact.<h4>Methods</h4>Feedback from participants was collected via dyadic interviews (n = 11) and surveys (n = 98) on communication strategies and their proposed implementation to improve cascade testing uptake. We conducted a thematic analysis to identify how to optimize each strategy. We categorized optimizations and their implementation within the project's healthcare system using a Traffic Light approach.<h4>Results</h4>Thematic analysis resulted in four distinct suggested optimizations for each communication strategy and seven suggested optimizations that were suitable across all strategies. Four suggestions for developing a comprehensive cascade testing program, which would offer all optimized communication strategies also emerged. All optimized suggestions coded green (n = 21) were incorporated. Suggestions coded yellow (n = 12) were partially incorporated. Only two suggestions were coded red and could not be incorporated.<h4>Conclusions</h4>This project demonstrates how to collect and analyze stakeholder feedback for program design. We identified feasible suggested optimizations, resulting in communication strategies that are patient-informed and patient-centered. Optimized strategies were implemented in a comprehensive cascade testing program.BMC health services researchOptimizing communication strategies and designing a comprehensive program to facilitate cascade testing for familial hypercholesterolemia.PMC10074725R01HL148246Sturm ACSimmons EWalters NLRahm AKLadd IGWilemon KJones LKSchmidlen TJBrangan AAhmed CDMcGowan MPMorgan KMMcMinn MNSchwartz MLBCampbell-Salome GTricou EfalseOptimizing communication strategies and designing a comprehensive program to facilitate cascade testing for familial hypercholesterolemia.<h4>Background</h4>This project aimed to optimize communication strategies to support family communication about familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and improve cascade testing uptake among at-risk relatives. Individuals and families with FH provided feedback on multiple strategies including: a family letter, digital tools, and direct contact.<h4>Methods</h4>Feedback from participants was collected via dyadic interviews (n = 11) and surveys (n = 98) on communication strategies and their proposed implementation to improve cascade testing uptake. We conducted a thematic analysis to identify how to optimize each strategy. We categorized optimizations and their implementation within the project's healthcare system using a Traffic Light approach.<h4>Results</h4>Thematic analysis resulted in four distinct suggested optimizations for each communication strategy and seven suggested optimizations that were suitable across all strategies. Four suggestions for developing a comprehensive cascade testing program, which would offer all optimized communication strategies also emerged. All optimized suggestions coded green (n = 21) were incorporated. Suggestions coded yellow (n = 12) were partially incorporated. Only two suggestions were coded red and could not be incorporated.<h4>Conclusions</h4>This project demonstrates how to collect and analyze stakeholder feedback for program design. We identified feasible suggested optimizations, resulting in communication strategies that are patient-informed and patient-centered. Optimized strategies were implemented in a comprehensive cascade testing program.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Apr2024-11-15T02:38:56.76Z2024-11-15T02:38:56.76ZS-EPMC100747253702023310.1186/s12913-023-09304-y