OBJECTIVE

To determine if physicians find clinical decision support alerts for pharmacogenomic drug-gene interactions useful and assess their perceptions of usability aspects that impact usefulness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

52 physicians participated in an online simulation and questionnaire involving a prototype alert for the clopidogrel and CYP2C19 drug-gene interaction.

RESULTS

Only 4% of participants stated they would override the alert. 92% agreed that the alerts were useful. 87% found the visual interface appropriate, 91% felt the timing of the alert was appropriate and 75% were unfamiliar with the specific drug-gene interaction. 80% of providers preferred the ability to order the recommended medication within the alert. Qualitative responses suggested that supplementary information is important, but should be provided as external links, and that the utility of pharmacogenomic alerts depends on the broader ecosystem of alerts.

PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacogenomic alerts would be welcomed by many physicians, can be built with minimalist design principles, and are appropriately placed at the end of the prescribing process. Since many physicians lack familiarity with pharmacogenomics but have limited time, information and educational resources within the alert should be carefully selected and presented in concise ways.