About

Krista Redlinger-Grosse, PhD, is a Teaching Associate Professor affiliated with the Genetics, Cell Biology & Development department at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Her role involves teaching within this department, contributing to the academic and educational missions of the institution. The available information does not specify her research focus, background, or key contributions beyond her teaching appointment.

Selected publications

• In their own words: a qualitative exploration of patients’ perspectives of genetic counseling sessions across clinical disciplines

  Journal of Community Genetics · 2026-05-16

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Genetic counselors (GCs) help individuals navigate living with genetic conditions via models of practice that emphasize GC-defined processes and outcomes. While quantitative, patient-reported measures have assessed patients' experiences and outcomes, there are limited qualitative studies that explore patient-reported impressions of genetic counseling in their own voice. A subset of genetic counseling patients enrolled in the Genetic Counseling Processes Result in Outcomes (GC-PRO) study completed a semi-structured phone or video interview within 1-2 weeks of their genetic counseling session. Transcripts (n = 25) were purposefully sampled from different clinic locations (three institutions), specialties (prenatal, cancer, cardiology, general genetics), participant responses to quantitative surveys, and demographics. A constructivist approach via reflexive thematic analysis identified five themes about the patient experience with GC behaviors and outcomes: (1) Follow my lead; (2) Working collaboratively over time; (3) We value information; (4) GC expertise and caring demeanor are unique; and (5) I left with takeaways. Patients identified the importance of GC behaviors that fostered a patient-led, collaborative session where informational and supportive needs were met in a tailored manner. Clear information-giving from a knowledgeable GC was consistently perceived to be valuable. Participants typically did not enter a session with a predetermined outcome, yet they later identified emotional impacts, gaining new perspectives about genetic information, and feeling empowered by actionable recommendations as outcomes. This research adds to the literature on patient-defined outcomes and perspectives on counseling processes which at times differ from classical provider definitions and serves to support additions to the current models of practice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Genetic Counselors’ Personal Reactions and the Ethical Implications for Genetic Counseling Practice

  Oxford University Press eBooks · 2025-09-23

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Genetic counseling practice is a dynamic process in which genetic counselors’ knowledge, skills (e.g., communication), and individual and cultural characteristics (e.g., empathy) interact with those of their patients. Genetic counselors must strive to develop and maintain an accurate awareness of their unique set of characteristics and the potential impact on genetic counseling processes and outcomes. Self-reflective practice in this chapter is fundamental in supporting many aspects of genetic counseling practice and counselor competencies, including common genetic counselor reactions of countertransference, moral distress, and compassion fatigue. This chapter describes these interrelated genetic counselor dynamics in the context of theory and research and offers suggestions of strategies for recognizing and managing these types of dynamics. The strategies are intended to help genetic counselors maintain a standard of patient care as well as their own professional vitality and efficacy.

  PublisherDOI

• A qualitative focus group analysis: Increasing fieldwork capacity in genetic counseling training programs

  Journal of Genetic Counseling · 2024-02-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Genetic counselors are an integral part of the healthcare system; however, the number of genetic counselors in many parts of the United States is limited, impacting access to comprehensive healthcare for all patients. One solution to addressing this deficit includes modifying genetic counseling training programs to increase student enrollment. Fieldwork capacity, driven by a limited number of rotation sites and supervisors, produces a significant bottleneck to entering the profession. Other professions have reported on techniques to increase fieldwork capacity; however, the practicality of these techniques for genetic counseling training has yet to be explored. This study seeks to investigate the perspectives of key stakeholders in genetic counseling training programs on the practicality of techniques already posited in the literature from other allied health professions. Semi-structured focus group interviews with 25 participants were conducted at the 2019 National Society of Genetic Counselors conference. Participants included program directors and supervisors from clinical, industry, and laboratory backgrounds. The focus group responses were analyzed using directed content analysis and a split coding technique, after which several themes emerged within the larger domains of rotation structures, systems infrastructure, skill-building methods, and other novel techniques to increase fieldwork capacity. Emerging themes included the importance of finding quality student placements rather than maximizing the quantity of participatory cases; a need for transparency about the transferability of skills learned from novel experiences; scaffolding student entrustment to expand supervisor capacity; and recognizing nuances in implementation for individual programs. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of openness in communication to manage expectations for students and supervisors, who may be more hesitant to try novel rotation placements and skill-building techniques. Genetic counseling programs may use these results to address the bottleneck of fieldwork capacity, increasing student enrollment.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Linking genetic counseling communication skills to patient outcomes and experiences using a community-engagement and provider-engagement approach: research protocol for the GC-PRO mixed methods sequential explanatory study

  BMJ Open · 2024-04-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: In over 50 years since the genetic counseling (GC) profession began, a systematic study of GC communication skills and patient-reported outcomes in actual sessions across multiple clinical specialties has never been conducted. To optimize GC quality and improve efficiency of care, the field must first be able to comprehensively measure GC skills and determine which skills are most critical to achieving positive patient experiences and outcomes. This study aims to characterise GC communication skills using a novel and pragmatic measure and link variations in communication skills to patient-reported outcomes, across clinical specialties and with patients from diverse backgrounds in the USA. Our community-engagement and provider-engagement approach is crucial to develop recommendations for quality, culturally informed GC care, which are greatly needed to improve GC practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A mixed methods, sequential explanatory design will be used to collect and analyze: audio-recorded GC sessions in cancer, cardiac, and prenatal/reproductive genetic indications; pre-visit and post-visit quantitative surveys capturing patient experiences and outcomes and post-visit qualitative interview data. A novel, practical checklist will measure GC communication skills. Coincidence analysis will identify patterns of GC skills that are consistent with high scores on patient-reported measures. Two-level, multilevel models will be used to evaluate how GC communication skills and other session/patient characteristics predict patient-reported outcomes. Four community advisory boards (CABs) and a genetic counselor advisory board will inform the study design and analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the single Institutional Review Board of the University of Minnesota. This research poses no greater than minimal risk to participants. Results from this study will be shared through national and international conferences and through community-based dissemination as guided by the study's CABs. A lay summary will also be disseminated to all participants.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• An exploratory study of perceptions and utilization of genetic information in the intended parent experience of oocyte donor selection

  Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · 2024-10-24 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Culturally Engaged Supervision

  2023-01-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract With the prioritization of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the genetic counseling profession, culturally engaged supervision practices become increasingly important. This chapter first equips supervisors with background definitions and theory to provide common language and frameworks (e.g., cultural humility, professional development, and professionalism) to understand what culturally engaged clinical supervision entails. Through scenarios and self-reflective questions, it illustrates opportunities and barriers that can arise in culturally engaged supervision and offers strategies supervisors can begin to integrate into their supervision. Specifically, it includes discussions and application regarding self-awareness, communication of feedback and evaluation, culture sharing, and identifying and addressing microaggressions. Learning activities at the end of the chapter walk supervisors through steps to becoming more aware, reflective, and engaged in cultural issues in their supervision practice.

  PublisherDOI

• A qualitative exploration of interprofessional collaborative practice between genetic counselors and mental health providers

  Journal of Community Genetics · 2023-12-08

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cross-disciplinary collaboration for supervisor training: reaping the benefits of a relationship-based approach

  The Clinical Supervisor · 2022-10-05 · 4 citations

  article

  The authors describe a successful collaboration between three individuals with complementary but varied professional and personal identities as they developed and implemented a training on culturally engaged supervision for a group of genetic counseling fieldwork supervisors. The authors discuss the origins of their collaboration, explain how the principles of a relationship-based approach guided planning and implementation of the workshop, situate their process in the interprofessional collaboration literature, and distill conclusions intended to help others move from a shared project to a shared vision that forms the foundation for ongoing efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Genetic counselors' response types to prenatal patient deferring or attributing religious/spiritual statements: An exploratory study of <scp>US</scp> genetic counselors

  Journal of Genetic Counseling · 2022-09-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Research shows religiosity and spirituality (R/S) influence genetic counseling patients' and families' risk perception, decision-making, and coping. No published studies have examined how genetic counselors respond to patient-initiated R/S statements. This exploratory study examined genetic counselors' response types and reasons for their responses to two prenatal patient's R/S statements. Genetic counselors (n = 225) recruited through a National Society of Genetic Counselors eblast completed a survey containing two hypothetical scenarios regarding a prenatal patient's receipt of a trisomy 18 diagnosis. Scenarios were identical except for the last patient statement: "God makes everything possible…we leave things in his hands" (a deferring statement) or "I feel like God is punishing me for something I did" (an attributing statement). Imagining they were the counselor, participants wrote a response to each scenario and provided reasons for their response. Responses were analyzed using the Helping Skills Verbal Response System. MANOVA and chi-square tests, examining differences in response type based on patient statement (deferring or attributing), participant comfort with R/S, and years of experience, yielded a significant multivariate effect for scenario (p < 0.001). Responses to the deferring statement scenario contained a greater proportion of content statements (p < 0.001), closed questions (p < 0.001), and information-giving (p < 0.001). Responses to the attributing statement scenario contained a greater proportion of open questions (p = 0.05), influencing statements (p < 0.001), and affective statements (p = 0.006). Neither comfort with R/S nor genetic counseling experience significantly affected response type. Thematic analysis of reasons for responses yielded nine themes. Most prevalent were exploration (of the patient's statement), validation, correction (of patient's beliefs), and reassurance. The findings reflect stylistic differences in how and why genetic counselors respond to patients.

  PublisherDOI

• Application of motivational interviewing strategies with the extended parallel process model to improve risk communication for parents of children with familial hypercholesterolemia

  Journal of Genetic Counseling · 2022-02-12 · 8 citations

  article

  Current genetic counseling practice has not been found to significantly increase risk communication between family members. A more diverse set of genetic counseling approaches may be needed. A genetic counseling intervention based on motivational interviewing principles and the extended parallel process model was utilized to increase cascade outcomes within families with familial hypercholesterolemia, a common, underdiagnosed, and treatable condition. Parents of children with familial hypercholesterolemia were invited to participate in an online pre-survey, single-session genetic counseling intervention, and post-intervention surveys as a part of the CHEERS (Cholesterol Evaluation to Explore Risk Screening) intervention. This study investigated the efficacy of a genetic counselor delivered motivational interviewing intervention and how parents of children with familial hypercholesterolemia react by assessing family member cholesterol screening and risk communication to at-risk relatives. Transcripts were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for change talk using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code version 2.1. Participant surveys were analyzed for self-reported extended parallel process constructs and motivations. Coincidence analysis was conducted to explore differences between those with and without positive cascade outcomes within 12 months after the intervention. On average, change talk increased during the session in order of the extended parallel process constructs (perceived severity, susceptibility, response efficacy, self-efficacy). Coincidence analysis revealed that 6 of the 7 cases with positive cascade outcomes were explained by either the presence of high change talk during the intervention or presence of positive motivations shortly after, while 5 of the 5 cases without a positive outcome lacked both of these key factors that were associated with cascade outcomes. Results of this study suggest that incorporating motivational interviewing and the extended parallel process model increases change talk and that the presence of either high levels of change talk or positive motivations is associated with positive cascade outcomes.

  PublisherDOI