Spanish-Speaking Patient Perspectives: Benefits and Barriers of Telemedicine in Genetic Counseling

Nadia Gavidae English, BA (Advisor: Aranza Gonzalez Cendejas, MS, CGC)

          Telemedicine has rapidly expanded, yet research on its impact within genetic counseling remains limited, particularly for Spanish-speaking patients. Existing studies on patient perspectives are limited and the influence of telemedicine on effective service delivery in a Spanish-speaking population lacks robust data. This study aims to fill that gap, investigating the perceived benefits, barriers, and desires of telemedicine genetic counseling for this growing population. A total of 66 Spanish-speaking patients fully completed a survey about their genetic counseling appointments, both in person and via telemedicine, at UT Health Houston and Harris Health clinics. The anonymous survey collected demographic data and Likert scale responses on benefits, barriers, and preferences for telemedicine genetic counseling. Parking cost savings (65.2%), equal care quality (60.6%), and reduced wait times (56.1%) were the top reported benefits of telemedicine genetic counseling. The most common reported barrier was navigating technology (51.5%), which was more frequently identified by patients seen via telemedicine. While an overall preference for in person genetic counseling was reported, those with telemedicine experience showed a greater desire for telemedicine-based genetic counseling. Statistical analyses using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Kruskal-Wallis with post-hoc Dunn’s test revealed factors associated with significant differences in perceived benefits, barriers, and desires for telemedicine genetic counseling: languages known and recent telemedicine experience. Compared to bilingual patients, those who knew only Spanish reported significantly more barriers of telemedicine, yet a greater desire for it. Individuals with telemedicine experience were more likely to identify the benefits and barriers and reported a higher desire for this delivery model. This study highlights the impact of prior telemedicine experience in shaping Spanish-speaking patients’ perceptions and preferences for genetic counseling mode. Future research should focus on optimizing and tailoring telemedicine services for Spanish-speaking populations and assessing the challenges and benefits of their lived experience.

Advisory Committee:

• Aranza Gonzalez Cendejas, MS, CGC, Chair
• Erica Bednar, MPH, MS, CGC
• Syed. S. Hashmi, MD, MPH, PhD
• Samantha Montgomery, MS, CGC
• Gina Sanchez, MS, CGC
• Autumn Vara, MS, CGC