Abstract
We established a general genetic counseling clinic (GCC) to help reduce long wait times for new patient appointments and to enhance services for a subset of patients. Genetic counselors, who are licensed in Tennessee, were the primary providers and MD geneticists served as medical advisors. This article describes the clinic referral sources, reasons for referral and patient dispositions following their GCC visit(s). We obtained patients by triaging referrals made to our medical genetics division. Over 24 months, our GCC provided timely visits for 321 patients, allowing the MD geneticists to focus on patients needing a clinical exam and/or complex medical management. Following their GCC visit(s), over 80 % of patients did not need additional appointments with an MD geneticist. The GCC allowed the genetic counselor to spend more time with patients than is possible in our traditional medical genetics clinic. Patient satisfaction surveys (n = 30) were very positive overall concerning the care provided. Added benefits for the genetic counselors were increased professional responsibility, autonomy and visibility as health care providers. We conclude that genetic counselors are accepted as health care providers by patients and referring providers for a subset of clinical genetics cases. A GCC can expand genetic services, complement more traditional genetic clinic models and utilize the strengths of the genetic counselor health care provider.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Battista, R. N., Blancquaert, I., Laberge, A. M., van Schendel, N., & Leduc, N. (2012). Genetics in Health Care: An overview of current and emerging models. Public Health Genomics, 15, 34–45.
Berkenstadt, M., Shiloh, S., Barkai, G., Katznelson, M. B., & Goldman, B. (1999). Perceived personal control (PPC): a new concept in measuring outcome of genetic counseling. Am J Med Genet, 82, 53–59.
Bernhardt, B. A., Biesecker, B. B., & Mastromarino, C. L. (2000). Goals, benefits and outcomes of genetic counseling: Client and genetic counselor assessment. Am J Med Genet, 94, 189–197.
Clarke, A., Parsons, E., & Williams, A. (1996). Outcomes and process in genetic counseling. Clin Genet, 50, 462–469.
Cohen, S. A., Gustafson, S. L., Marvin, M. L., Riley, B. D., Uhlmann, W. R., Liebers, S. B., et al. (2012). Report from the National Society of Genetic Counselors Service Delivery Model Task Force: A proposal to define models, components and modes of referral. J Genetic Counseling, 21(5), 645–51.
Conta JH, Ramsdell LA, Schubert PM & Sternen DL (2011). One model for expanding genetic counseling services in a pediatric genetics setting. Poster at National Society of Genetic Counselors National meeting.
Cooksey, J. A., Forte, G., Benkendorf, J., & Blitzer, M. G. (2005). The state of the medical geneticist workforce: Findings of the 2003 survey of American Board of Medical Genetics certified geneticists. Genet Med, 7(6), 439–443.
Cooksey, J. A., Forte, G., Flanagan, P. A., Benkendorf, J., & Blitzer, M. G. (2006). The medical genetics workforce: Analysis of clinical geneticist subgroups. Genet Med, 8(10), 603–614.
McAlllister, M., Wood, A. M., Dunn, G., Shiloh, S., & Todd, C. (2011). The genetic counseling outcome scale: A new patient-reported outcome measure for clinical genetics services. Clin Genet, 79, 413–424.
McPherson, E., Zaleski, C., Benishek, K., McCarty, C. A., Giampietro, P. F., Reynolds, K., & Rasmussen, K. (2008). Clinical genetics provider real-time workflow study. Genet Med, 10(9), 699–706.
Rieff, M., Bernhardt, B. A., Mulchandani, S., Soucier, D., Cornell, D., Pyeritz, R. E., et al. (2012). “What does it Mean?”: Uncertainties in understanding results of chromosomal microarray testing. Genetics in Medicine, 14(2), 250–258.
Schaaf, C. P., Wiszniewska, J., & Beaudet, A. L. (2011). Copy Number and SNP Arrays in Clinical Diagnostics. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, 12, 25–51.
Shiloh, S., Avdor, O., & Goodman, R. M. (1990). Satisfaction with genetic counseling: dimensions and measurement. Am J Med Genet, 37, 522–529.
Wang, G., & Watts, C. (2007). Utilization trends of genetic clinics excluding prenatal services in Washington State, 1995–2004. Genet Med, 9(10), 713–718.
Weiss KE Riggs, E., Hanson, K., Savage, M., Riethmaier, D., Muirhead, A., et al. (2012). The laboratory-clinician team: A professional call to action to improve communication and collaboration for optimal patient care in chromosomal microarray testing. J Genet Counseling, 21(5), 631–637.
Westwood, G., Pickering, R. M., Latter, S., Lucassen, A., Little, P., & Temple, I. K. (2006). Feasibility and acceptability of providing nurse counsellor genetics clinics in primary care. J Advanced Nursing, 53(5), 591–604.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported in part by State of Tennessee grant GR-08-21558-00.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hannig, V., Cohen, M., Pfotenhauer, J. et al. Expansion of Genetic Services Utilizing a General Genetic Counseling Clinic. J Genet Counsel 23, 64–71 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-013-9608-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-013-9608-0