'Testing Times, Challenging Choices': An Australian Studyof Prenatal Genetic Counseling

摘要

In many countries pregnant women deemed to beat increased risk for fetal anomaly following a screeningtest may attend a genetic counseling session to receiveinformation and support in decision-making about subse-quent diagnostic testing. This paper presents findings froman Australian study that explored 21 prenatal geneticcounseling sessions conducted by five different geneticcounselors. All were attended by pregnant women who hadreceived an increased risk result from a maternal serumscreening (MSS) test and who were offered a diagnostictest. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the contentand structure of sessions and explore the counselinginteractions. Findings from this cohort demonstrate that,within these prenatal genetic counseling sessions, counselordialogue predominated. Overall the sessions were charac-terized by: a) an emphasis on information-giving b) a lackof dialogue about relevant sensitive topics such as disabilityand abortion. Arguably, this resulted in missed opportuni-ties for client deliberation and informed decision-making.These findings have implications for the training andpractice of genetic counselors and all healthcare professio-nals who communicate with women about prenatal testing.