Point-of-care genetic counselling : should family physicians counsel patients on genetic testing and screening?

Abstract

Family medicine has come of age, with family doctors/general practitioners taking on greater roles and responsibilities and health care systems recognizing the important role of primary care. It is in this scenario that the question of pre- and post- testing counselling of genetic tests which are or would be offered directly to the general public through advertising and over-the-counter testing is being raised. This type of counselling would require enough personnel to deal with a large number of people; people who may not have genetic disorders in their families but who are curious about testing such as that for Breast Cancer (BRCA). It is argued that family doctors, albeit needing continuing professional development in this area, already have a solid foundation in genetics and are strategically placed in the community and numerous enough to impart such counselling. This would also liberate the responsibility from specialised geneticists who need to deal with families and individuals who have more serious genetic disorders to be managed.