Thirty-years of genetic counselling education in Europe: a growing professional area.

Genetic counselling education and training in Europe spans a continuum of 30 years. More master programs are opening due the demand for qualified genetic counselors. This report describes the evolution of training in Europe and the current state of genetic counselling training programs.

Evaluation of the Rosa Chatbot Providing Genetic Information to Patients at Risk of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Qualitative Interview Study.

Background: Genetic testing has become an integrated part of health care for patients with breast or ovarian cancer, and the increasing demand for genetic testing is accompanied by an increasing need for easy access to reliable genetic information for patients. Therefore, we developed a chatbot app (Rosa) that is able to perform humanlike digital conversations about genetic BRCA testing.

Objective: Before implementing this new information service in daily clinical practice, we wanted to explore 2 aspects of chatbot use: the perceived utility and trust in chatbot technology among healthy patients at risk of hereditary cancer and how interaction with a chatbot regarding sensitive information about hereditary cancer influences patients.

Ask Rosa - The making of a digital genetic conversation tool, a chatbot, about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Objective: We aimed at developing a pilot version of an app (Rosa) that can perform digital conversations with breast or ovarian cancer patients about genetic BRCA testing, using chatbot technology, to identify best practices for future patient-focused chatbots.

Methods: We chose a commercial chatbot platform and participatory methodology with a team of patient representatives, IT engineers, genetic counselors and clinical geneticists, within a nationwide collaboration. An iterative approach ensured extensive user and formal usability testing during the development process.

Cancer-related distress in unselected women with newly diagnosed breast or ovarian cancer undergoing BRCA1/2 testing without pretest genetic counseling.

Background: Genetic testing is increasing in patients newly diagnosed with cancer. This study investigated the levels, course and predictors of cancer-related distress, defined as intrusion and avoidance, in women undergoing BRCA1/2 testing without pretest genetic counseling shortly after a diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer.

Material And Methods: Unselected for family history or age, 259 women with breast cancer and 50 women with ovarian cancer, underwent BRCA1/2 testing shortly after diagnosis.

The influence of cancer-related distress and sense of coherence on anxiety and depression in patients with hereditary cancer: a study of patients' sense of coherence 6 months after genetic counseling.

This study examines the association between Sense of Coherence and anxiety and depression amongst patients at risk of hereditary cancer receiving genetic counseling. When writing this article, 144 patients referred for genetic counseling due to a suspicion of hereditary cancer in the family were recruited for this multicentered longitudinal study on the psychosocial aspects of genetic counseling in Norway. A total of 96 (66%) patients responded to the follow-up survey distributed 6 months after genetic counseling.