Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients
While telegenetic counseling has increased substantially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies reported concerns around building rapport, nonverbal communication, and the patient-counselor relationship. This qualitative evaluation elicited feedback from genetic counselors, refer...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251314747 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832589642278371328 |
|---|---|
| author | Meghan C. Martinez MPH Nina Szwerinski MS Su-Ying Liang PhD Sharon Chan MPH Monique de Bruin MD Cheryl D. Stults PhD |
| author_facet | Meghan C. Martinez MPH Nina Szwerinski MS Su-Ying Liang PhD Sharon Chan MPH Monique de Bruin MD Cheryl D. Stults PhD |
| author_sort | Meghan C. Martinez MPH |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While telegenetic counseling has increased substantially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies reported concerns around building rapport, nonverbal communication, and the patient-counselor relationship. This qualitative evaluation elicited feedback from genetic counselors, referring clinicians, and patients from a single healthcare organization to understand the user-driven reasons for overall satisfaction and experience. We conducted 22 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants from all 3 groups between February 2022 and February 2023. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed using a pragmatic thematic approach. Participants across all groups felt the style and content of the genetic counseling visit lent itself perfectly to telegenetics specifically because of no physical exam component. Most patient and counselor participants expressed having the genetic counseling over phone or video had no impact on the patient-counselor relationship or the amount of trust and emotional connection they were able to achieve remotely. Preference for visit type can be influenced by in-person masking requirements impeding full facial expressions or expressing strong emotions over phone. All respondents expressed strong support for all modalities going forward. Counselors with broad experience across platforms should be the focus of future recruitment as should patient education around the nature of the genetic counseling visit and the accuracy of various testing options. Telegenetic programs should consider perspectives from all 3 groups to ensure that specific needs of each are addressed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89079a6af73148f3a2a5c7360100e8ec |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0046-9580 1945-7243 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| spelling | doaj-art-89079a6af73148f3a2a5c7360100e8ec2025-01-24T11:03:33ZengSAGE PublishingInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing0046-95801945-72432025-01-016210.1177/00469580251314747Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and PatientsMeghan C. Martinez MPH0Nina Szwerinski MS1Su-Ying Liang PhD2Sharon Chan MPH3Monique de Bruin MD4Cheryl D. Stults PhD5Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute and Center for Health Systems Research, Sutter Health, Palo Alto, CA, USAPalo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute and Center for Health Systems Research, Sutter Health, Palo Alto, CA, USAPalo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute and Center for Health Systems Research, Sutter Health, Palo Alto, CA, USADirector of Genetic Counseling, Bay Medical Foundation, Sutter Health, Sunnyvale, CA, USADepartment of Oncology, Sutter Health, Sunnyvale, CA, USAPalo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute and Center for Health Systems Research, Sutter Health, Palo Alto, CA, USAWhile telegenetic counseling has increased substantially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies reported concerns around building rapport, nonverbal communication, and the patient-counselor relationship. This qualitative evaluation elicited feedback from genetic counselors, referring clinicians, and patients from a single healthcare organization to understand the user-driven reasons for overall satisfaction and experience. We conducted 22 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants from all 3 groups between February 2022 and February 2023. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed using a pragmatic thematic approach. Participants across all groups felt the style and content of the genetic counseling visit lent itself perfectly to telegenetics specifically because of no physical exam component. Most patient and counselor participants expressed having the genetic counseling over phone or video had no impact on the patient-counselor relationship or the amount of trust and emotional connection they were able to achieve remotely. Preference for visit type can be influenced by in-person masking requirements impeding full facial expressions or expressing strong emotions over phone. All respondents expressed strong support for all modalities going forward. Counselors with broad experience across platforms should be the focus of future recruitment as should patient education around the nature of the genetic counseling visit and the accuracy of various testing options. Telegenetic programs should consider perspectives from all 3 groups to ensure that specific needs of each are addressed.https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251314747 |
| spellingShingle | Meghan C. Martinez MPH Nina Szwerinski MS Su-Ying Liang PhD Sharon Chan MPH Monique de Bruin MD Cheryl D. Stults PhD Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| title | Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients |
| title_full | Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients |
| title_fullStr | Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients |
| title_short | Acceptability and Future Considerations for Telegenetic Counseling After the COVID Pandemic: Interviews with Genetic Counselors, Clinicians, and Patients |
| title_sort | acceptability and future considerations for telegenetic counseling after the covid pandemic interviews with genetic counselors clinicians and patients |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251314747 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meghancmartinezmph acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients AT ninaszwerinskims acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients AT suyingliangphd acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients AT sharonchanmph acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients AT moniquedebruinmd acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients AT cheryldstultsphd acceptabilityandfutureconsiderationsfortelegeneticcounselingafterthecovidpandemicinterviewswithgeneticcounselorscliniciansandpatients |