Defining the role of a genetic counselor within pediatric hematology and oncology comprehensive care teams: Perspectives of the provider team and patients.

Abstract

As genetic testing is increasingly integrated into medical care, the genetic counselor (GC) has emerged as a key member of multidisciplinary (MD) teams. Prior research has demonstrated the importance of role clarification when subspecialties are introduced to these teams given the potential differences in team member expectations regarding the division of responsibilities in clinic. To assess perceptions of a GC's role in four pediatric hematology/oncology clinics, Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) competencies were used to develop two separate surveys for providers and patients and their caregivers. Providers (n=25) perceived roles related to genetic expertise and coordination of care to be primarily the role of a GC significantly more often than psychosocial roles (p<.0001). Several potential GC roles were perceived as a shared role or the role of another provider, such as eliciting psychosocial history. Patients/caregivers (n=70) perceived genetic-centric roles as significantly more important than roles related to coordination of care (p=.03) and psychosocial skills (p<.0001). Our findings from a pediatric specialty department suggest that GCs may maximize their potential in MD clinics by functioning as genetic subject matter experts with care coordination responsibilities related to genetic testing. Further communication between team members may be indicated to clarify the division of responsibilities.