A case study in national survey research from Instinct & Reason
The challenge
Genomics is moving rapidly from specialist research labs into everyday healthcare, shaping diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment choices.
But before genomics can be embedded responsibly into the health system, policymakers need to understand where the public actually stands: how much Australians know, how they feel about it, what concerns them, and what would make them trust and use it.
Until now, that national evidence base has been limited.
Instinct & Reason was engaged to help close that gap, delivering a validated, nationally deployable evidence base on Australians’ awareness, attitudes and expectations around health genomics.
Our approach
The study combined a review of existing evidence and public discussion with survey development and testing, followed by a nationally representative survey of 1,751 Australians.
Dedicated boost samples were included among culturally and linguistically diverse respondents and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents, helping ensure the research captured perspectives from across Australia’s diverse population.
What we found
The headline story is striking: Australians are open to genomics, but many do not yet feel well-informed about it.
71% of Australians rate their own knowledge of genomics as low or very limited, yet 92% see at least some personal benefit, including faster diagnosis, better understanding of health risks and finding the right medicines.
Support for using genomics in everyday medical care is broadly high, with little active opposition. Healthcare professionals also emerge as the most trusted source for handling genomic information.
But that openness sits alongside genuine concern.
Around seven in ten Australians worry about commercial misuse and data breaches, while a strong majority, approximately 75–80%, expect access to genomic testing to be fair and equitable, regardless of income or community.
The research also showed that Australians cannot simply be divided into supporters and sceptics.
Our attitudinal segmentation identified seven distinct genomics mindsets, ranging from low-knowledge cautious supporters (26%, the largest group) to knowledgeable receptive supporters and concerned sceptics. Each has different drivers of trust, concern and readiness to engage.
Age and gender also revealed an important distinction. Younger Australians and men were more likely to feel informed, but when actual knowledge was tested, results were remarkably consistent across groups.
The implication: confidence and comprehension are not the same thing.
That gap has important consequences for how genomic information is communicated.
Why it matters
As genomics moves into mainstream healthcare, understanding where Australians genuinely stand is essential.
It is not enough to know whether people support genomics in principle. Policymakers and health system planners also need to understand what people know, what concerns them, who they trust and what influences their willingness to engage.
This research provides a robust, segmented national baseline to help guide how genomics is introduced, communicated and made fairly accessible across the Australian community.
