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Examining genetic counselors' implicit attitudes toward disability
Helen Gould1,2, Syed S Hashmi1,3, Victoria F Wagner1,3
1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
Journal of Genetic Counseling
|August 24, 2019
Summary
Genetic counselors show a bias toward ability, not influenced by personal experience. This highlights the need for patient-centered advocacy in genetic counseling regarding disability.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare
- Genetics
- Disability Studies
Background:
- Genetic counselors balance patient education and advocacy when discussing disability.
- Understanding genetic counselors' implicit attitudes toward disability is crucial for effective patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine genetic counselors' implicit attitudes toward disability.
- To identify factors influencing these implicit attitudes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized case scenarios to estimate time allocation in genetic counseling sessions.
- Administered the Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA-IAT) to measure implicit attitudes.
- Assessed personal and professional experiences with disability through an electronic survey.
Main Results:
- Personal experience with disability did not significantly correlate with implicit attitude scores.
- Genetic counselors exhibited a significant bias toward ability (Dmean = 0.62) compared to general populations.
- Practice specialty, years in the field, and professional status (counselor vs. student) did not influence implicit attitudes.
Conclusions:
- The observed bias toward ability may stem from factors attracting individuals to the genetic counseling field.
- The DA-IAT might not fully capture the nuanced relationship genetic counselors have with disability.
- Emphasizes integrating patients' definitions of disability and fostering advocacy in genetic counseling.