Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale (GCOS-24): semantic validation for Brazilians in the genetic counseling process

• Grant number: 14/19689-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2015
• End date: December 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Medical-Surgical Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Milena Jorge Simões Flória
• Grantee: Mariane Caetano Sulino
• Host Institution: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (EERP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Since the first clinical genetics services have begun to offer genetic counseling (GC) for clients at risk or suffering from diseases with genetic predisposition, many studies have been developed to evaluate these services and the GC process performed by them. Evidence of national and international literature has shown that, most health professionals active on those services struggling to "give voice", also to empower, patients and their family members during the GC. Currently, many researchers have been seeking to develop and validate instruments to measure the construct of empowerment. However, not all instruments have the ability to measure all the dimensions of this construct, with few exceptions; among these exceptions, there is the Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale (GCOS-24). However, this instrument was originally drafted in British English. Thus, the objective of this project is to perform the semantic validation of the translated Genetic Counseling Outcome Scale (GCOS- 24) version to be made available for use with families in genetic counseling process. This project will be conducted together families that are followed at the Service of Medical Genetics of the Hospital and Clinics at the School of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, SP. We hope that the scale could be validated to be used by Brazilian professionals and families, in order to support the care offered to them, and to improve the quality of GC process in Brazil.