In Europe, genetic counsellors are employed in specialist genetic centres or other specialist units. According to the European Board of Medical Genetics, the genetic counsellor must fulfil a range of roles, including provision of information and facilitation of psychosocial adjustment of the client to their genetic status and situation. To evaluate the extent to which genetic counsellors fulfil their prescribed roles, we conducted a systematic review of the published relevant scientific evidence. We searched five relevant electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, SocIndex, AMED and PsychInfo) using relevant search terms and handsearched four subject-specific journals for research-based papers published in English between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2013. Of 419 potential papers identified initially, seven satisfied the inclusion criteria for the review. Themes derived from the thematic analysis of the data were: (i) rationale for genetic counsellors to provide care, (ii) appropriate roles and responsibilities and (iii) the types of conditions included in the genetic counsellor caseload. The findings of this systematic review indicate that where genetic counsellors are utilised in specialist genetic settings, they undertake a significant workload associated with direct patient care and this appears to be acceptable to patients. With the burden on genetic services, there is an argument for the increased use of genetic counsellors in countries where they are under-utilised. In addition, roles undertaken by genetic counsellors in specialist genetic settings could be adapted to integrate genetic counsellors into multi-disciplinary teams in other specialisms.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ejhg.2014.116 | DOI Listing |
J Med Ethics
January 2025
Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
In a recent article, Haining outline several ethical and regulatory considerations for polygenic risk scores (PRSs), which may expand current embryonic screening to include polygenic diseases and non-disease traits. I argue in this response that the authors overlook a few crucial issues that nations should address. For adult-onset diseases, regulations must not only account for predictive accuracy of PRSs but also establish the precise circumstances that warrant testing-such as a disease's severity and the average age at which symptoms manifest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Community Genet
January 2025
Medical Genetics Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy.
In 2002, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed with the aim of improving the integration and efficiency of the genetic services. Two decades later, this report aims to explore the current functioning of the regional network, with special focus on clinical genetics in the evolving scenarios. To this aim, we analyzed the activity data of the medical genetics services in the region, to identify and possibly improve currently open issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet
January 2025
Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Mass General for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Determining karyotype-phenotype correlations for individuals with Turner syndrome ("TS individuals") is a longstanding research endeavor. The limited literature on Turner syndrome (TS) with a ring X chromosome hinders counseling about the neuropsychological and clinical features. To further characterize these phenotypes, we compared 27 TS individuals with 46,X,r(X)/45,X ("ring X") to 50 non-mosaic 45,X, and 27 mosaic 45,X/46,XX ("mosaic 45,X") individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTaiwan J Obstet Gynecol
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical and Community Health Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical & Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address:
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol
January 2025
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China. Electronic address:
Objective: To report a rare 17q12 microduplication family.
Case Report: A 29-year-old woman (gravida 1, para 0) underwent amniocentesis at 21 weeks' gestation because of double bubble sign and polyhydramnios of the fetus on prenatal ultrasound. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) from this family revealed a 1.
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