title: Research directions in genetic counselling: a review of the literature.
abstract: There is a growing body of literature considering genetic counselling services in a variety of clinical settings. This literature encompasses both predictive and diagnostic testing, from the viewpoints of service providers and recipients. It also embraces a wide range of conceptions of the nature and goals of genetic counselling. However, research in this area has been criticised for a focus on outcome rather than process, and it has been suggested that this focus limits its practical use. The purpose of this review is twofold: (1) to describe the varying concepts of counselling which appear to be utilised in published work and (2) to discuss the possible applications of this work to practice.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Society Unit, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK. alison.pilnick@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilnick
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dingwall
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D005544:Forecasting; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012098:Reproduction; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*; D012307:Risk Factors