Kanga-Parabia Anaita, Mitchell Lucas, Smyth Renee, Kapoor Trisha, Duggal Jaitika, Pearn Amy, Williams Rachel, Courtney Eliza, Edwards Emma, Bowman Michelle, Belekar Mithila, Gaff Clara, Nisselle Amy
Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Genet Med Open. 2024 May 8;2(Suppl 2):101848. doi: 10.1016/j.gimo.2024.101848. eCollection 2024.
To understand diversity, inclusion, and capacity of genetic counselors (GCs) in Australasia (Australia and New Zealand).
Individuals with or working toward a GC qualification in Australasia were invited to complete an online survey, between November 2022 and March 2023. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, 1-sample proportion -tests, 2-sample -tests, and χ tests. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.
A total of 252 participants responded to the survey. A subset analysis of respondents residing in Australia demonstrated a lack of representation across various characteristics including sex, relationship status, caregiver status, location, country of birth, Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander identity, language, and religion. Analysis of the full data set demonstrated that most respondents also perceived that the workforce was not representative across gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability. Respondents provided examples of existing inclusive practice. They also suggested workforce needs, such as promoting education and employment for minority communities, more visible diversity, accessible services for clients, and professional development for GCs. Using survey and reference data, we estimated approximately 346 full-time equivalent GCs working in clinical practice in Australasia.
Our study provides a first step in illuminating GC workforce changes needed in Australasia regarding diversity, inclusion, and capacity. The survey may be of use internationally, enabling other countries to understand these issues within their jurisdiction, and supporting the international community in addressing these challenges.
了解澳大拉西亚地区（澳大利亚和新西兰）遗传咨询师的多样性、包容性和能力。
2022年11月至2023年3月期间，邀请了在澳大拉西亚地区拥有或正在攻读遗传咨询师资格的人员完成一项在线调查。定量数据采用描述性统计、单样本比例检验、双样本检验和卡方检验进行分析。定性数据采用归纳性内容分析法进行分析。
共有252名参与者回复了调查。对居住在澳大利亚的受访者进行的子集分析表明，在性别、恋爱状况、照顾者状况、地点、出生地、原住民/托雷斯海峡岛民身份、语言和宗教等各种特征方面缺乏代表性。对完整数据集的分析表明，大多数受访者还认为该行业在性别、性取向、种族或残疾方面缺乏代表性。受访者提供了现有包容性实践的例子。他们还提出了行业需求，比如促进少数群体社区的教育和就业、增加可见的多样性、为客户提供可及的服务以及为遗传咨询师提供专业发展机会。利用调查和参考数据，我们估计在澳大拉西亚地区约有346名全职等效遗传咨询师从事临床工作。
我们的研究为阐明澳大拉西亚地区在多样性、包容性和能力方面遗传咨询师队伍所需的变化迈出了第一步。该调查在国际上可能有用，能使其他国家了解其管辖范围内的这些问题，并支持国际社会应对这些挑战。
