Genetic counseling can be provided by genetic counselors, physicians, and genetic nurses. However, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and a few other countries, genetic counseling services are often provided by genetic counselors or genetic nurses, professionals specially trained in genetics and counseling, who serve as members of a health care team. Genetic counseling in the United States and Canada is a self- regulating health profession with its own board (the American and Canadian Boards of Genetic Counseling, respectively) for certification of practitioners and the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling for accreditation of training programs. Nurses with genetics expertise are certified through a separate process and organization. In the United States, many states license genetic counselors to provide clinical services. State- based licensing of medical providers serves as a measure to protect the public from unqualified providers by setting a standard for minimum education and training requirements and sets the state-specific scope of practice.
Genetic counselors and genetic nurses play an essential role in clinical genetics, participating in many aspects of the investigation and management of genetic conditions. A genetic counselor provides genetic counseling directly to individuals, helps patients and families deal with the many psychological and social issues that arise during genetic counseling, and continues in a supportive role and as a source of information after the clinical investigation and formal counseling have been completed. Genetic counselors are also active in the field of genetic testing; they serve as liaison between the referring physicians, the diagnostic laboratories, and the families themselves. Their special expertise is valuable to clinical laboratories because explaining and interpreting genetic testing to patients and referring physicians often requires a sophisticated knowledge of genetics and genomics as well as excellent communication skills.
Historically, genetic counseling was primarily per formed in pediatric and prenatal clinical settings. However, increased understanding of the genetic contribution to medical conditions and the increased avail ability of genetic testing has increased the need for genetic counseling in many other medical specialties. For example, many genetic counselors now work in the specialties of oncology and cardiology, among others. Similarly, the unique training in genetics and genomics, biomedical technology, and psychosocial counseling received by genetic counselors allows genetic counselors to fulfill roles outside of patient care, such as research, marketing, and product development.
