Genetic Counselors' Experiences of Moral Value Conflicts With Clients

NCT00360711 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 99990617906-HG-N179
• Study Type: observational
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will examine the experience of moral value conflicts among genetic counselors. Previous research has shown that value conflicts do exist among genetic counselors, but little is known about the nature or consequences of these conflicts. This is a sub-study of the "Manifestations and Consequences of Moral Distress Among Genetic Service Providers: An Exploratory Study," which includes genetic counselors, nurses and medical geneticists. Genetic counselors are recruited for this value-conflict sub-study from among those participating in the Moral Distress study. Participants are interviewed in-depth by telephone about their experiences of moral value conflicts with clients. The interviews cover the following: situations in which the counselor has disagreed with a client's decision or views on a moral level; the counselor's thought processes during and after a session in which conflicts arise; the counselor's feelings and emotions associated with sessions involving a moral value conflict; the counselor's current and previous work settings; the counselor's view of his or her role and responsibility in a client's decision; challenging a client's values or decision; and preparation for value conflicts.

Conditions

Moral Value Conflicts; Moral Distress; Genetic Counseling

Keywords

Moral Distress; Nondirectiveness; Ethical Dilemma

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may not qualify if:

• A sample of approximately 30 genetic counselors will be interviewed for this study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI): lead

Study Sites (1)

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Hodgson J, Spriggs M. A practical account of autonomy: why genetic counseling is especially well suited to the facilitation of informed autonomous decision making. J Genet Couns. 2005 Apr;14(2):89-97. doi: 10.1007/s10897-005-4067-x.

  PMID: 15959640 BACKGROUND

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2006
• First Posted: August 7, 2006
• Study Start: June 1, 2006
• Study Completion: March 31, 2007
• Last Updated: July 2, 2017

Record last verified: 2007-03-31

Locations

US (1)