Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process Practice-Based Skills, Second Edition

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The following examples illustrate the types of open and closed questions you
might ask patients during genetic counseling:

Closed

question

Are you scared?

Open

question

How do you feel?

Closed

question

Are you concerned about what you will do if the test results are positive?

Open

question

What do you think you might do if the test results are positive?

Closed

question

Does your husband agree with your decision?

Open

question

Tell me about how your husband feels about your decision (this response, although

not grammatically a question, is still a question because it requests additional

information)

Questions also vary with respect to the complexity of information they request.
Sanders ( 1966 ) identified six types of questions that differ in their degree of cogni-
tive and emotional complexity. His questions are based on Bloom et  al.’s ( 1956 )
hierarchical taxonomy of educational objectives:

Memory questions. Require recall or recognition of information.

Example: When did you have the miscarriage?

Translation questions. Require an idea to be expressed in different words.

Example: Can you explain what you mean in another way?

Interpretation questions. Require generalizations of information.

Example: What does a one in ten chance mean for you?

Analysis questions. Require problem-solving through critical reflection about avail-
able knowledge.
Example: How can the ways that you’ve coped with loss in the past help you in
this situation?

Synthesis questions. Require problem-solving through original thinking.

Example: Can you think of some ways to approach your family members about

testing that you haven’t tried yet?

Evaluation questions. Require value judgements.

Example: Which of the options we’ve discussed fits the best for you?

5.1 Obtaining Information from Patients