Genes in the waiting room
Developing training in genetics/genomics for primary health care workers
More applications of genetics and genomics are finding their way into the daily practice of first-line healthcare, e.g. among general practitioners and midwives. In many cases, these professionals admit knowing very little about the latest developments in genomics and not having the skills to use these newest applications.
A general practitioner, e.g., should directly ask a diabetes patient about possible instances of diabetes in his or her family, which data may thus point to a hereditary variant. And a gynaecologist should in case of prenatal diagnostics, provide effective information and advice to parents of a child with a genetic deviation. The current provision of information to these occupational groups is not adequately tailored to their needs, meaning they lack sufficient opportunity to raise their level of understanding.
Research is focused on finding out how these occupational groups could be educated in a way that supplements their working practice, while being accessible and applicable at the same time. Besides recommendations on this teaching material, the researchers will also help formulate regulations on what the various parties in the first-line healthcare sector should know. Who will perform certain genetic tests? Who will tell the patient about his genetic risks? There is still insufficient clarity about this among the occupational groups.