Coming Full Circle: A Reciprocal‐Engagement Model of Genetic Counseling Practice

TLDR

Genetic counseling is expanding beyond purely genetic conditions to common diseases with genetic and environmental factors, necessitating a normative practice model. This paper reports the outcomes of a consensus conference that aimed to define a genetic counseling practice model guided by educators and leaders. Twenty-three program directors from 20 North American graduate programs attended presentations and group discussions to identify model elements, including tenets, goals, strategies, and patient‑centered behaviors. The conference produced a summarized discussion, training implications, research recommendations, and a proposed practice model that extends participants’ ideas.

Abstract

As genetic health care and genetic testing expand from primarily addressing conditions that are exclusively genetic in nature to common diseases with both genetic and environmental components, the scope of genetic counseling has grown. Identification and utilization of a normative model of practice defined by members of the profession is critical as genetic services become more commonplace in medical care. The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a consensus conference convened to define a model of genetic counseling practice based on the guidance of educators and leaders in the profession. Twenty-three program directors or their representatives from 20 genetic counseling graduate programs in North America listened to presentations and participated in group discussions aimed at determining the elements of a model of practice, including tenets, goals, strategies, and behaviors for addressing patients' genetic concerns. Their discussion is summarized, training implications and research recommendations are presented, and a model of practice that extends their ideas is proposed.