Genetic counselling supervision: Luxury or necessity? A qualitative study with genetic healthcare professionals in Portugal

Eur J Med Genet. 2023 Dec 22;67:104908. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104908. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn recent years, there has been a significant technological evolution in the field of genetics, leading to an increase in the number of professionals working in medical genetics and, consequently, a tremendous growth in genetic counselling. At the same time, there has been a growing recognition of the parameters on which to base a safe practice, not only regarding the technical skills of the professional but also regarding their counselling skills, including relational and empathy skills and the acknowledgement of the emotional impact that genetic counselling practice can have. However, despite this growing knowledge, there are still significant differences between the various European countries, and one area where this discrepancy is particularly evident is genetic counselling supervision. Thus, if there are countries where genetic counselling supervision is not even known by the professionals, there are others where it is mandatory for practice. This research had as an objective to understand if and how genetic counselling supervision is provided in Portugal, to identify routines, challenges and impacts of genetic counselling that should be explored in a supervision process and comprehend how professionals believe supervision should be conducted to be effective. A total of sixteen medical geneticists from main Portuguese genetic services were present in two online focus gr...
Source: European Journal of Medical Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research