A Report on Ten Asia Pacific Countries on Current Status and Future Directions of the Genetic Counseling Profession: The Establishment of the Professional Society of Genetic Counselors in Asia

Abstract

The Professional Society of Genetic Counselors in Asia (PSGCA) was recently established as a special interest group of the Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics. Fostering partnerships across the globe, the PSGCA's vision is to be the lead organization that advances and mainstreams the genetic counseling profession in Asia and ensures individuals have access to genetic counseling services. Its mission is to promote quality genetic counseling services in the region by enhancing practice and curricular standards, research and continuing education. The PSGCA was formally launched during the Genetic Counseling Pre-Conference Workshop held at the 11th Asia-Pacific Conference on Human Genetics in Hanoi, Viet Nam, September 16, 2015. The pre-conference workshop provided an opportunity for medical geneticists and genetic counselors from across 10 Asia Pacific countries to learn about the varied genetic counseling practices and strategies for genetic counseling training. This paper provides an overview of the current status and challenges in these countries, and proposed course of unified actions for the future of the genetic counseling profession.

Genetic counseling education at the undergraduate level: An outreach initiative to promote professional recruitment and support workforce development

“…Although the field has grown in India and elsewhere since the course was conceived in the year 2016, there are still several challenges surrounding genetic counseling workforce development. These challenges, including relatively low awareness of the genetic counseling profession, limited opportunities for shadowing, lack of national recognition of genetic counseling as a healthcare service, and lack of establishment of practice standards, are not unique to India (Baty, 2018; Bucio, Ormond, Hernandez, Bustamante, & Lopez Pineda, 2019; Laurino et al, 2017; Ormond et al, 2018; Sun, Liang, Zhu, Shen, & He, 2019). Country‐specific studies to assess the factors that influence workforce development could be beneficial in providing a framework for growth of the profession.…”

“…There are currently four genetic counseling training programs in India recognized by the BGC, of which, only one is a two‐year master's degree dedicated to genetic counseling (Laurino et al, 2017). Additional education in genetic counseling is offered by universities, physician associations, and diagnostic testing companies via workshops and internet‐based education modules.…”

Achieving the targets of sustainable development goals (2030 agenda) for congenital disorders in Asia: Bottlenecks and interventions

“…Hence there is strong need for all registries of congenital disorders to publish their findings and methodology of data collection on a regular basis. With greater awareness, accurate information, provision of genetic services and genetic counseling, it is hoped that stigmatization and marginalization of individuals with congenital disorders may be further reduced (Laurino et al, ).…”

Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics (APSHG) from conception to 2019: 13 years of collaboration to tackle congenital malformation and genetic disorders in Asia

“…Its membership consists of certified genetic counselors as well as students or professionals having certificate or diploma degrees in genetic counseling or having an interest in this field (https://www.psgca.org/index.html). Among the many activities organized, the PGCSA had been very active in putting together full day workshops in conjunction with the society's biennial conferences (Laurino et al, ). Besides the genetic counseling interest group, activities by other interest groups were also held.…”