Assistant Professor, Medicine Medicine-General Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Population Health-Bioethics
"My research and professional interests focus on population-scale methods for quality assurance of risk communication, especially surrounding the use of screening tests which may have unforeseen or unexpected implications. As both an adult and pediatric health care provider, I have studied communication prior to cancer screening tests for adults (prostate-specific antigen and mammography) and communication following newborn genetic screening (for cystic fibrosis and sickle cell hemoglobinopathy). I am funded by a five-year mentored scientist development award to study ways to assess the processes and outcomes of communication following newborn genetic screening. I am currently using a method of my own design called the "Brief Standardized Communication Assessment" (BSCA) to analyze physician risk communication against a series of "communication quality indicators."
Representative Publications
Farrell MH, Certain L, Farrell PM. Genetic counseling and Risk Communication Services of Newborn Screening Programs. Arch Ped Adol Med 2001;155(2): 120-126.
Farrell MH, Foody JM, Krumholz HM. beta-Blockers in Heart Failure. Clinical Applications JAMA 2002;287(7):890-897.
Bobadilla JL, Farrell MH, Farrell PM. Applying CFTR Molecular Genetics to Facilitate the Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis Through Screening. Adv Pediatr 2002;49:131-190.
Farrell MH, Murphy MA, Schneider CE. How Underlying Patient Beliefs Can Affect Physician-Patient Communication about Prostate-Specific Antigen. Eff Clin Pract 2002;5:120-129.
Farrell MH, La Pean A, Ladouceur LK. The Content of Communication by Residents After Newborn Genetic Screening. Pediatrics (in press, 2005).
La Pean A, Farrell MH. Initially Misleading Communication of Carrier Results after Newborn Genetic Screening. Pediatrics (in press, 2005)