Knowledge and attitudes of personalized medicine, genetic testing, and health data sharing: a comprehensive survey in the European Union

Personalized medicine's innovative approaches rely on the public's awareness and proficiency. We distributed an online survey to 6581 respondents from eight EU countries, investigating the public's knowledge of personalized medicine, support for implementing genetic testing in their healthcare system, and willingness to share health data. 12.11% of respondents had high compound knowledge of the topics. Knowledge levels vary among the included countries (highest in the Netherlands at 18.87%, lowest in France at 7.44%). 81.5% supported genetic testing in their healthcare systems, with acceptance rates varying for testing purposes. 52.35% reported willingness to share health data for altruistic use. Support for implementing genetic testing and the desire to share health data correlated positively with knowledge and education levels. Respondents from Southern Europe displayed higher support toward personalized medicine than in Central and Eastern Europe. Communication and education strategies are needed to enhance public understanding and trust in personalized medicine and health data sharing.