Genetic counselling

Genetic Counselling

The bridge between complex genetic codes and the layman language to decode it. Genetic Counsellors work closely with physicians to provide their patients with personalized treatment options. Our genetic counsellors are unique in a way that they not only understand the technology and science behind it but understand the psychological and social impacts of genetic test results. They translate the genetic data to make it comprehensible by the patients and their respective healthcare providers. This enables the patients to understand their complex conditions and make informed decisions for them and their families.

Earlier, genetic counselling was thought to be only for rare disorders and prenatal screening and more recently in the treatment of cancers. But with the advancement in the technologies, the spectrum of medical specialities using genetic counselling has been expanding to include cardiology, psychiatry, neurology and is still growing.

Abnormal Prenatal Reports

Hereditary Diseases

Infertility

Ocular

Cardiology

Cancer

Lifestyle Disorders

Nutrition and Fitness

What is Genetic counselling?

The bridge between complex genetic codes and the layman language to decode it. Genetic Counsellors work closely with physicians to provide their patients with personalised treatment options.

PRE-TEST COUNSELLING

Everyone does not require a genetic test!! Genetic testing comes with its own pros and cons. Before opting for a test, you need to understand the risks associated and must be prepared to comprehend incidental findings. The need and type of genetic test will also be discussed along with legal and social implications.

POST-TEST COUNSELLING

After the disclosure of test results, our counselors review the reports and discuss them with the patients. Appropriate measures for the management of the disease are suggested to the patient and also to their family members. In a few cases, other members of the family are also suggested to take up a few genetic tests. Above all, supportive counseling for decision-making and management of the disease is also provided.

It takes a team to help Interpret Your Report

The genetic testing report is not as simple as any other diagnostic tests. You will not receive a negative or positive outcome but instead you will find a list of medical jargon. Genetic counsellors will help you interpret these results along with inputs from your clinician, who describe your symptoms and clinical indication; and Geneticist/Scientist from the lab who would curate the best matching variants to you and describe its pathogenicity status.

How to prepare for genetic counseling?

Genetic counseling session usually takes 30mins-45mins. Be prepared with the following before you come for genetic counseling

Please bring your current and/or any previous madical records

Come with a brief knowledge about your extended family members

Identify any medical histories (possible with medical records) of family members.

What to expect from genetic counseling?

During the end of a genetic counseling you will have a basic knowledge about an expected or a diagnosed disorder.
You will be able to decide if you want to undergo genetic testing.
After posttest counseling session you will be able to understand your genetic test result and know about available management options.
Patients will be referred back to their clinicians for medical management and review.
You will be provided with details about support groups.

Why genetic counseling at geneaura?

Our genetic counsellors are unique in a way that they not only understand the technology and science behind it but understand the psychological and social impacts of genetic test results. They translate the genetic data to make it comprehensible by the patients and their respective healthcare providers. This enables the patients to understand their complex conditions and make informed decisions for them and their families.

The knowledge of such advanced genetics and the variants are just evolving, thus it becomes challenging to interpret them without specialized training. Our team has specialized expertise who are trained and have been working with such data for several years. There are many variants for which their impact is still not completely understood. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics’ guidelines are being used in our laboratory and National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) counselling practices are efficiently used to match the Indian settings.

Now the interpretation has to be managed while considering your current health status, vulnerability to your family members, financial back-up before deciding what can be done next. Doing all this with minimum information and no help can be difficult. Thus it is advisable to seek the help of a genetic counsellor.

Genetic counselling