The Global State of the Genetic Counseling Profession

Area of Science:

• Medical Genetics
• Global Health
• Professional Development

Background:

• The profession of genetic counseling originated in the United States approximately 50 years ago.
• International growth of genetic counseling has occurred over the past 30 years.
• Existing literature on genetic counseling is fragmented across various journals with limited accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of the global status of genetic counseling as a profession.
• To consolidate information following the 2016 Transnational Alliance of Genetic Counseling (TAGC) conference and the 2017 World Congress of Genetic Counselling.

Main Methods:

• Data compilation and analysis of the global landscape of genetic counseling.
• Estimation of the number of genetic counselors worldwide.
• Identification of countries with established or developing genetic counseling professions.

Main Results:

• As of 2018, an estimated 7000 genetic counselors are practicing globally.
• The profession is established or developing in a minimum of 28 countries.
• The study synthesizes information from international genetic counseling conferences.

Conclusions:

• Genetic counseling is an expanding international profession with a growing workforce.
• Further efforts are needed to consolidate and disseminate information on genetic counseling globally.
• The findings provide a baseline for understanding the global reach of genetic counseling services.