Identifying opportunities for collaboration and growth of genetic counseling services in the Asia Region
- PDF / 359,571 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 57 Downloads / 151 Views
PROGRAM REPORTS
Identifying opportunities for collaboration and growth of genetic counseling services in the Asia Region Mercy Y. Laurino 1,2 & Darci L. Sternen 3 & Jennifer K. Thompson 4 & Kathleen A. Leppig 5,6
Received: 23 November 2016 / Accepted: 5 May 2017 / Published online: 25 May 2017 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017
Abstract The Genetic Counseling Pre-Conference Workshop (GCPCW) was held on September 16, 2015, in Hanoi, Vietnam. We report the GCPCW outcomes obtained from pre- and post-conference questionnaires, case-review breakout session, and an open discussion of needs for genetic counseling services in the Asia region. The GCPCW participants completed questionnaires with closed- and open-ended questions regarding the status and needs of providing genetic counseling services in Asia. Utilizing thematic content analysis, common themes shared during the case-review breakout session are summarized and survey results are tabulated. Of the 71 participants, pre- and post-conference questionnaires were returned by 57 (80%) and 44 (62%) individuals, respectively. Of the 42 participants who did not identify themselves as students in training, 36 (86%) stated they are currently providing genetic counseling services. Participants cited that the most useful information obtained during the GCPCW related to the status of genetic counseling services in the region, discovery of shared challenges, professional networking, and the need to establish genetic counseling training programs and
* Mercy Y. Laurino [email protected]
1
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
2
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 825 Eastlake Ave East K-231, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
3
Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA
4
Hereditary Cancer Program, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
5
Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA, USA
6
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
its accreditation. The GCPCW provided a collaborative forum to address current challenges and needs of genetic counseling services in the region. Strategies were identified to foster genetic counseling training and clinical service opportunities. Keywords Genetic counseling . Asia . Genetic counselor . Pre-conference workshop . Education report
Introduction While advances in medical genetics and genomic technology have increased the global need for genetic counseling services, there is paucity of individuals trained in medical genetics and genetic counseling who can provide such services (Chien et al. 2013; Christianson and Modell 2004; Kingsmore et al. 2012; Laurino and Padilla 2013; Lee and Thong 2013; Maltese et al. 2017). Specifically in Asia, providing genetic counseling services is daunting given that this region represents approximately 35% of the world’s land mass and an estimated 60% of the world population with countless ethnic minorities (Kumar 2012). Without question, establishing these services requires a commitment from local resources and global parti
Data Loading...
