1. ¹The Nowgen Centre for Genetics in Healthcare, Manchester, UK
2. ²Medical Genetics Research Group, The University of Manchester, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK
3. ³Health Economics Research at Manchester, School of Community-based Medicine, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Correspondence: Dr M McAllister, The Nowgen Centre for Genetics in Healthcare, The University of Manchester, The Nowgen Centre, 29 Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9WU, UK. Tel: +44 161 276 8979; Fax +44 161 276 4058; E-mail: marion.mcallister@manchester.ac.uk

Received 21 December 2007; Revised 14 May 2008; Accepted 5 June 2008; Published online 2 July 2008.

Abstract

There is limited evidence about what process attributes of clinical genetics services may be highly valued by patients and service providers. The aim in this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore what process attributes may be highly valued by those stakeholders. Seven focus groups (n=33) and nineteen one-to-one interviews were conducted (total sample size=52). Five process attributes were identified as highly valued by patients and health professionals: (1) local and accessible services (2) open access and follow-up, (3) coordinated, tailored family care, (4) quality of the patient–clinician relationship and (5) time to talk. These findings will be useful in designing models of service delivery that could be tested in intervention studies.