A Comparison of Telephone Genetic Counseling and In-Person Genetic Counseling from the Genetic Counselor’s Perspective.pdf

J Genet Counsel DOI 10.1007/s10897-015-9848-2 ORIGINAL RESEARCH A Comparison of Telephone Genetic Counseling and In-Person Genetic Counseling from the Genetic Counselor’s Perspective Kelly R. Burgess 1 Erin P. Carmany 2 Angela M. Trepanier 2 Received: 12 November 2014 /Accepted: 18 May 2015 # National Society of Genetic Counselors, Inc. 2015 Abstract Growing demand for and limited geographic access counseling tasks are performed similarly between TGC and to genetic counseling services is increasing the need for alter- IPGC, TGC counselors recognize that specific training in the native service delivery models (SDM) like telephone genetic TGC model may be needed to address the key differences. counseling (TGC). Little research has been done on genetic counselors’ perspectives of the practice of TGC. We created Keywords Service delivery models . Telephone genetic an anonymous online survey to assess whether telephone ge- counseling . Genetic counselor training . Genetic counselor netic counselors believed the tasks identified in the ABGC tasks (American Board of Genetic Counseling) Practice Analysis were performed similarly or differently in TGC compared to in person genetic counseling (IPGC). If there were differences Introduction noted, we sought to determine the nature of the differences and if additional training might be needed to address them. Within the last several years, there have been several impor- Eighty eight genetic counselors with experience in TGC com- tant developments that have led to a potential increase in de- pleted some or all of the survey. Respondents identified dif- mand for genetic counseling services. The United States ferences in 13 (14.8 %) of the 88 tasks studied. The tasks Preventive Task Force, for example, has recommended genet- identified as most different in TGC