Building awareness on genetic counselling: the launch of Italian Association of Genetic Counsellors (AIGeCo)
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Building awareness on genetic counselling: the launch of Italian Association of Genetic Counsellors (AIGeCo) Marco Crimi 1 & Rossana Mineri 2 & Lea Godino 3 & Benedetta Bertonazzi 3 & Carla Bruzzone 4 & Barbara Pivetta 5 & Christophe Cordier 6 & Domenico A. Coviello 7 & Irene Feroce 8 Published online: 18 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Dear Editor, “Genetic counseling is the process through which knowledge about the genetic aspects of illnesses is shared by trained professionals with those who are at an increased risk or either having a heritable disorder or of passing it on to their unborn offspring” (WHO). Genetic counsellors (GC) are practicing all over the world, especially in the USA and the UK, with a common background for providing “patient-oriented” support for those persons, and their families, dealing with a genetic condition, providing information on the inheritance, recurrence risks, sharing the concerns of patients and their healthcare providers. In Europe a joint activity between EUROGENTEST network and the European Society of Human Genetics strongly supported the evidence that the key element in improving the quality of genetic testing services in Europe is the provision of appropriate genetic education for health professionals Coviello et al. (2007), and the Marco Crimi and Rossana Mineri contributed equally to this work. * Marco Crimi [email protected] 1
Kaleidos SCS onlus, Scientific Office, Via Moretti 20, 24121 Bergamo, Italy
2
Cytogenetics and Medical Genetics Section, Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, MI, Italy
3
Unit of Medical Genetics, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
4
IRCCS Policlinico San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy
5
Medical Genetics Unit, ASFO, Santa Maria degli Angeli Hospital, Pordenone, Italy
6
Synlab Genetics, Lausanne, Switzerland
7
Laboratory of Human Genetics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini Hospital, Genoa, Italy
8
Division of Cancer Prevention and Genetics–IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
Education Committee of ESHG, in 2010, published the core competences to support preparation of health professionals in Europe Skirton et al. (2010). As the use of genomic technologies in DNA testing is now being greatly extended to a wide range of medical specialties, possibly generating an excess of information, there is a higher demand for genetic counselling to patients and their families Cordier et al. (2018), and GC are now active in more than 11 European countries Abacan et al. (2019).
Genetic counselling around the world The profession of genetic counsellor was born about 50 years ago in the USA. It is estimated that, actually, there are in 28 countries about 7000 people who work as genetic counsellor Abacan et al. (2019). Actually there are some countries in Europe (and beyond) where the genetic counsellor has a recognized profession (e.g., the UK, Spain, France, the USA, or Australia), but unfortunately, this is not a reality in a
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