Genetic counselors: your partners in clinical practice.

Abstract

As our understanding of the human genome has grown, so too has the need for health care providers who can help patients and families understand the implications of these new discoveries for their health care. Increasingly, genetic counselors are working in partnership with physicians to provide a continuum of care from risk assessment to diagnosis. In this article, we explain the process of genetic counseling and its value for patients who have a personal or family history of a hereditary condition.