Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
J Genet Couns. 2024 Jun;33(3):605-614. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.1756. Epub 2023 Aug 10.
For genetic counselors to effectively meet the needs of an ever-diversifying multicultural patient population, it is vital that their genetic counseling programs (GCPs) equip future genetic counselors to recognize the impact of a patient's ethnocultural background on clinical interactions (Towards a culturally competent system of care: A monograph on effective services for minority children who are severely emotionally disturbed (p. 28). CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1989). Concerns about genetic counseling cultural competency training (CCT) including content and delivery have been brought up by GCP students who identify as racial and ethnic minorities (Journal of Genetic Counseling, 29, 303-314). Though GCPs must meet the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counselors' (ACGC) accreditation criteria, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the focus, type, and methods of delivery that GCPs have chosen to incorporate into their CCT, as ACGC does not dictate the exact focus, delivery, or format of training curricula. This quantitative study aimed to (1) characterize the current focus, type, and delivery of ethnocultural competency training in GCPs as perceived by second-year genetic counseling students and recent graduates and (2) highlight their perception of its impact on their levels of preparedness and comfort when interacting with ethnoculturally diverse patients. One hundred and one survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum, and Fisher's exact tests. The results reveal significant variability in the format, type, and delivery of CCT provided by GCPs. Participants perceive that CCT focusing on specific traditions, medical considerations, and systemic healthcare disparities (taught to 74%, 61%, and 94% of students, respectively) related to ethnoculturally diverse patients was more likely to increase their self-reported levels of preparedness and comfort for clinical interactions than training focused on racial or ethnic stereotypes and generalizations (taught to 88% of students). Although 94% of participants perceived their CCT as helpful, 61% reported they received an insufficient amount. In light of these results, we provide suggestions for the improvement of ethnocultural CCT and highlight future opportunities for more intentional and fruitful CCT in GCPs.
为了使遗传咨询师能够有效地满足日益多样化的多元文化患者群体的需求，遗传咨询项目（GCP）必须使未来的遗传咨询师认识到患者的种族文化背景对临床互动的影响，这一点至关重要。（迈向具有文化能力的护理系统：关于为严重情绪困扰的少数民族儿童提供有效服务的专论（第 28 页）。CASSP 技术援助中心，乔治敦大学儿童发展中心，1989 年）。GCP 学生提出了对遗传咨询文化能力培训（CCT）的内容和交付的担忧，他们认为自己是种族和少数民族（《遗传咨询杂志》，29，303-314）。尽管 GCP 必须满足遗传咨询师认证委员会（ACGC）的认证标准，但对于 GCP 选择纳入其 CCT 的重点、类型和方法，知识上存在差距，因为 ACGC 并没有规定培训课程的确切重点、交付或格式。这项定量研究旨在：（1）描述第二学年遗传咨询学生和最近毕业的学生对 GCP 中当前种族文化能力培训的重点、类型和交付方式的看法；（2）突出他们对与种族文化多样化患者互动时的准备程度和舒适度的影响的看法。使用描述性统计、卡方分析、两样本 Wilcoxon 秩和检验和 Fisher 精确检验对 101 份调查回复进行了分析。结果显示，GCP 提供的 CCT 格式、类型和交付方式存在显著差异。参与者认为，针对特定传统、医学考虑因素和系统性医疗保健差异的 CCT（分别教授给 74%、61%和 94%的学生）更有可能增加他们对临床互动的自我报告准备程度和舒适度，而不是针对种族或族裔刻板印象和概括的培训（教授给 88%的学生）。尽管 94%的参与者认为他们的 CCT 有帮助，但 61%的人表示他们的培训量不足。鉴于这些结果，我们为改进种族文化 CCT 提出了建议，并强调了在 GCP 中进行更有针对性和更有成效的 CCT 的未来机会。
