title: Balancing Genetics (Science) and Counseling (Art) in Prenatal Chromosomal Microarray Testing.
abstract: Genetic counselors frequently are called upon to assist patients in understanding the implications of prenatal testing information for their pregnancies and their family's lives. The introduction of highly sensitive testing such as chromosomal microarray has generated additional kinds of uncertainty into the prenatal period. Counselors may feel uncomfortable or inadequately prepared to engage in discussions with prospective parents who are faced with making critical, and timely, decisions about a pregnancy based on uncertain information. As highly sensitive prenatal testing becomes routine in prenatal care, counselors may be in search of approaches to prenatal counseling, as well as specific skills to approach, engage with, and help families find resolution in such challenging circumstances. To assist genetic counselors, we describe practice skills and provide language for approaching conversations with prospective parents. When clinicians regularly provide care to patients and families making life-altering decisions under conditions of significant uncertainty, discomfort is common and compassion fatigue is likely. We make recommendations directly to the genetic counselor working in reproductive and perinatal settings to enhance training and self-care and to decrease discomfort in balancing the scientific- and art- demands of genetic counseling.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Locust Walk, Caster Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. awer@sp2.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Werner-Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Judith L M
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McCoyd
authors.affiliation: Translational Medicine and Medical Genetics, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care
keywords: Genetic counseling; Microarray; Prenatal testing; Professional development; Uncertainty