A Qualitative Look into Israeli Genetic Experts’ Insights Regarding Culturally Competent Genetic Counseling and Recommendations for Its Enhancement

The aim of this study is to describe the perceptions and recommendations of Israeli genetic experts in regard to culturally competent genetic counseling. Qualitative data was collected from 15 semi-structured interviews with Israeli genetics experts. Recurring themes were identified using "thematic analysis" and coded by means of "grounded theory". Our analysis divides data from the genetic experts' interviews into four main themes: Why is culturally competent genetic counseling important? (Describing its contribution to individuals and to society); who is the recipient of culturally competent genetic counseling? (Differentiating the needs of counselees based on genetic education, cultural/religious characteristics and geographic location); what should we include in culturally competent genetic counseling? (Addressing the contents that counseling should convey);how should we perform culturally competent genetic counseling? (Addressing the methods that counseling should employ). In light of the study, we recommend lengthening the genetic counseling session so that counselors will be able to truly gauge all the prior knowledge of the counselees, their religious beliefs, norms, values and attitudes towards genetic testing. We further recommend that students continue to study genetics further into high school. Finally, we suggest adding a preparation session, similar to a prenatal course, to the genetic counseling of lay people so that their genetic knowledge, attitudes and perceptions will be enhanced, leading to more efficient genetic counseling and more informed decisions.