Hannah Getachew-Smith

Northwestern University | NU · Department of Communication Studies

Introduction: Screening to promote social-emotional well-being in toddlers has positive effects on long-term health and functioning. Communication about social-emotional well-being can be challenging for primary care clinicians for various reasons including lack of time, training and expertise, resource constraints, and cognitive burden. Therefore,...

Objective. The objective is to examine the scope of health communication media campaign process evaluation methods, findings, and dissemination practices. Data Source. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using database searches. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria. Published studies on process and implementation evaluat...

Objective We know little about how patients make decisions when they receive a variant of uncertain significance result (VUS) from genetic testing. The purpose of this study was to elucidate a model of patient-informed decision-making after receiving a VUS result. Methods Using an adapted Mental Models Approach, we conducted semi-structured interv...

Objective. Clinicians regularly use panel genetic testing to identify hereditary breast cancer risk, but this practice increases the rate of receiving an ambiguous test result, the variant of uncertain significance (VUS). VUS results are a growing and long-term challenge for providers and have caused negative patient outcomes. The objective of this...

Receiving a positive test result for a BRCA mutation is a life-altering event. Thrust into a biomedical category of “high-risk” for developing breast and ovarian cancer, unaffected BRCA-positive women confront decisions about how to manage their risk. The knowledge provided through the use of genetic testing burdens women with having to make crucia...

The original version of this paper was inadvertently published with an incorrect author name. The correct name of the author is Marleah Dean. No other changes to the article have been made. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our readers.

Receiving a positive result for a BRCA1/2 (BRCA) mutation - indicating a high lifetime risk to develop hereditary breast and ovarian cancer - can significantly alter a woman's identity. BRCA-positive women who have not been diagnosed with cancer may be labeled "previvors," which distinguishes those at-risk for developing cancer, but have not had ca...

Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) are the subpopulation most disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. Testing Makes Us Stronger (TMUS), a communication campaign designed to increase HIV testing rates among BMSM ages 18 to 44, was implemented in the United States from December 2011 through September 2015...

Objectives: To examine whether self-reported exposure to Testing Makes Us Stronger™ (TMUS), an HIV testing health communication campaign for black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM), was associated with key intermediate outcomes targeted by the campaign's messages. Methods: Data from sexually active, HIV-negative or unknow...

This study explored the frequency of dating website and app usage among MSM to understand sub-group differences in use. Web-based survey data (N = 3105) were analyzed to assess the use of dating websites and apps. More than half (55.7%) of MSM in this sample were frequent users of dating websites and apps. Two-thirds (66.7%) of frequent users had c...

This study assessed exposure among Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) to a communication campaign, Testing Makes Us Stronger (TMUS), and its association with HIV testing to determine campaign effectiveness. Data from an online survey (N = 3,105) were analyzed using propensity score weight-adjusted logistic regression to...

Purpose: To determine the reproductive risks of women using the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the acceptability of delivering preconception screening and counseling with the WIC encounter. Design: A mixed methods approach to include quantitative analysis of reproductive risks and qualitative an...

Purpose: To explore knowledge of general and personal preconception health risks among women in publicly funded clinics and whether brief counseling can improve knowledge. Design: Interventional cohort study. Setting: Five publicly funded primary care clinics. Subjects: Two cohorts of low-income, nonpregnant African-American and Hispanic wom...