Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing: UK Genetic Counselors’ Experiences and Perspectives

摘要: To date, NIPT in the UK has been predominately used health service for early sexing of pregnancies at known risk sex-linked conditions. Developments technology are broadening its use to diagnostic testing paternally inherited genetic conditions and detection aneuploidy. This study aimed examine experiences counselors with offering sexing, explore their views on future uses technology. Twenty interviews practicing GC’s from four centres were audiotaped, transcribed, analyzed using modified grounded theory. Participants all had experience counseling patients around prenatal diagnosis 18/20 NIPT. GCs reported initially feeling cautious about test, although they saw it as a positive advance risk. Emphasis was placed accuracy, adequate provision gatekeeping concerns expressed routine antenatal setting. Findings indicate genetics model high can incorporate profession may have role informing implementation wider healthcare settings. In context this highlights challenges new technologies bring counselors’ practice structure.