Training activity information
Details
Reflect on how a patient’s beliefs and values have influenced their response to genetic counselling and testing and how you responded to these in trainee led consultations
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Considerations
- Own attitudes, beliefs and values in relation to disability and culture, and consider how this could influence the consultation
- Eliciting patients’ beliefs and values in relation to genetic counselling and/or testing
- Influence of beliefs and values in an individual’s response to genetic counselling
- Influence of beliefs and values in relation to genetic counselling and/or testing and the contribution to delivering better quality genetic counselling to the individual
- Providing genetic counselling appropriately to patients from a diversity of social, economic and cultural backgrounds
- The role of the genetic counsellor and other health professionals, e.g. interpreters in providing genetic counselling appropriately to patients from a diversity of social, economic and cultural backgrounds
- Use of counselling supervision
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- What prior knowledge do you have about different identities, belief systems and values and how they might intersect with healthcare decisions, particularly in the context of genetic counselling and testing?
- What experiences might patients have had in navigating the healthcare system and the power structures or systems within it?
- What specific insights do you hope to gain about how diverse patient identities, beliefs and experiences shape their understanding and acceptance of genetic information and testing options?
- How do you anticipate exploring your own responses and potential biases when faced with differing belief systems?
- What strategies do you hope to learn or refine for adapting your communication and counselling approach to be sensitive to and respectful of individual beliefs and values?
- Will you review relevant literature or resources on cultural competency and the role of beliefs and values in healthcare decision-making?
- Will you discuss with your supervisor potential scenarios where patient beliefs and values might significantly influence the consultation and how to navigate these situations?
- How will you mentally prepare yourself to be open, non-judgmental, and adaptable in your approach to understanding and responding to diverse perspectives?
In action
- How are you actively listening to and observing the patient to understand their beliefs and values as they express their views on genetic counselling and testing?
- What specific communication techniques are you using to explore the influence of these beliefs and values on their responses and decisions? Are you consciously adapting your communication style to be sensitive to the patient’s expressed beliefs and values?
- Are you gaining a clear understanding of how the patient’s beliefs and values are shaping their engagement with the consultation?
- Are you encountering any challenges in understanding or responding respectfully to beliefs and values that differ from your own or those typically encountered?
- What adjustments are you making in your approach as you learn more about the patient’s perspective? How is your existing knowledge of different belief systems and cultural values informing your actions in the moment?
- If the patient’s beliefs are leading to resistance or challenges in the consultation, what alternative approaches are you considering to facilitate understanding and shared decision-making?
- Are you recognising when you might need to seek guidance from your supervisor during or immediately after the consultation to better understand the influence of these beliefs and values? Are you ensuring that your responses remain within ethical boundaries and respect patient autonomy, even when their beliefs differ significantly?
On action
- What were the key experiences, beliefs and values expressed by the patient that seemed to influence their response to genetic counselling and testing?
- What were the main ways in which the patient’s beliefs and values were evident in their questions, statements, and behaviours during the consultation?
- How did you respond to these expressions of beliefs and values in the consultation?
- What did you learn about the specific beliefs and values expressed by this patient and their potential impact on engagement with genetic counselling and testing?
- Did you encounter any unexpected ways in which the patient’s identity or experiences shaped the consultation? What did you learn from these surprises?
- How did your attempts to understand and respond to the patient’s beliefs during the consultation affect the flow and outcomes of the session?
- How does understanding the influence of patient beliefs and values relate to providing patient-centred care in genetic counselling?
- What areas do you need to develop further in terms of understanding and responding to diverse patient experience, beliefs and values?
- How will you apply this learning to future consultations to better understand and respect the influence of patient beliefs and values?
- What specific actions will you take to enhance your ability to work effectively with patients holding a range of beliefs and values (e.g., further reading, discussion with supervisor)?
- What support or resources could help you to further develop your cultural competence and sensitivity in genetic counselling?
Beyond action
- Can you recall specific instances in other consultations where a patient’s beliefs and values significantly impacted their engagement? How do these compare to the experience in this training activity?
- Do you now pay more conscious attention to eliciting and understanding patients’ beliefs and values in your consultations? Can you provide examples of how this has influenced your approach?
- Have you developed new strategies or techniques for responding to diverse belief systems based on this and subsequent experiences?
- How has understanding the influence of patient beliefs and values informed your approach to other aspects of genetic counselling, such as information giving or decision support?
- Has reflecting on this training activity helped you prepare for discussions in supervision or for case-based discussions related to patient-centred care?
- What transferable skills related to cultural sensitivity, empathy, and patient-centred communication have you further developed by reflecting on this experience over time?
- What ongoing learning goals do you have in terms of improving your ability to work effectively with patients from diverse backgrounds and belief systems?
- How will this understanding contribute to your ability to navigate potentially complex ethical dilemmas that may arise due to differing values?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 1 |
Outcome
Lead on establishing the patient agenda and psychosocial needs in complex genetic and genomic counselling consultations, under the supervision of a GCRB registered Genetic Counsellor. |
| # 2 |
Outcome
Employ counselling skills to facilitate complex decision making during genetic and genomic counselling consultations. |
| # 3 |
Outcome
Apply communication skills to provide complex genomic test results in an empathic manner. |
| # 4 |
Outcome
Use counselling supervision and multidisciplinary meetings to work through ethical and cultural issues in genomic counselling practice. |