Licensure
Who Are Genetic Counselors?
Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized training in medical genetics and psychosocial counseling. Genetic counselors are trained in accredited Masters degree programs and individually certified via examinations administered by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
Genetic counselors have a presence across various medical specialties including Cardiology, Genetics and Genomics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology, and Pediatrics, among others. Genetic counselors help patients and their healthcare providers understand medically relevant genetic risks and help guide clinical follow up.
Some genetic counselors provide their expertise to clinical genetic testing laboratories and industry partners while others are part of academic centers and are involved in research.
How Do Genetic Counselors Serve Texas Health Care Consumers?
Genetic counselors evaluate and assess risk for genetic disease by:
Obtaining and interpreting an individual’s medical history and family history
Identifying and facilitating appropriate genetic tests.
Genetic counselors are expert communicators. They:
Assess a client’s knowledge about genetics
Facilitate informed decisions about genetic testing and its impact on clinical care
Discuss the inheritance pattern, natural history and prognosis of a genetic condition
Discuss recommendations for medical management of a genetic condition
Provide comprehensive, user-friendly documentation to clients and medical providers.
Genetic counselors are attuned to the psychosocial impact of disease. They:
Provide opportunities for a client to respond openly and honestly to genetic information.
Provide supportive, client-centered counseling.
Introduce appropriate resources to enhance a client’s ability to adapt to genetic information.
How Do Genetic Counselors Impact Health Care In Texas?
Genetic counseling and testing affects all Texans.
The U.S. genetic testing market comprises > $4 billion in spending, and is estimated to double by 2027.
Texas has 4 National Cancer Institute-designated centers, 3 Genetic Counseling Master’s degree training programs, and 2 top-ranked pediatric hospitals.
The Need For More Licensed Genetic Counselors In Texas
Texans, no matter where in the state they reside, deserve access to high quality genetic counseling.
Currently, Texas has no enforceable standards for the practice of training genetic counselors. Licensure ensures genetic counselors in the state are appropriately trained, qualified professionals. Without licensure, untrained individuals can provide substandard care, endangering people’s health.
Help Texas join the 36 other states currently issuing genetic counselor licenses or have passed legislation for licenses.
Genetic counselor licensure will:
Protect Texans
Improve healthcare spending efficiency
Facilitate access to remote health care services
Genetics in Healthcare
3 of every 100 babies are born with a birth defect.
1 in 9 children and 1 in 12 adults admitted to the hospital have a genetic disorder.
1 in 5 to 1 in 3 of all infant deaths are due to genetic disorders.
1 in 2 cases of intellectual disability has a genetic basis.
1 in 22 people in the United States has a genetic disorder.
1 in 10 cancers is due to a hereditary predisposition.
1 in 10 people with Parkinson’s disease has an identifiable gene variant.
The Shortage of Genetic Counselors in Texas
Texas is the second most populous state in the U.S., but the state continues to have a shortage of genetic counselors. In 2019, the national average was 7 genetic counselors for every 500,000 people. Currently, there are approximately 6 genetic counselors to serve every 500,000 Texans. Moreover, genetic counselors practicing in the state are largely concentrated in larger metropolitan areas, which curtails the availability of genetic counselors in rural regions comprising over 16% of the state population. As a result, people in rural regions needing genetic counseling may be referred to out-of-state providers, not only depleting resources to retain genetic counselors currently practicing in Texas but also hampering efforts to recruit qualified genetic counselors to job opportunities in the state.
The Burden On Non-Genetics Healthcare Providers
Genetic counselors have the expertise to identify appropriate genetic tests and facilitate appropriate ordering. Untrained individuals can wrongly order genetic tests and can misinterpret results. This can lead patients to make unnecessary medical decisions, have unwarranted medical tests, and can miss life -saving measures.
Lack of access to genetics specialists like genetic counselors often forces clinicians who have no training in medical genetics to provide genetics-related healthcare, which can have negative consequences for healthcare consumers and the healthcare system.
Studies show:
>30% of non-genetics medical providers misinterpret results of genetic tests.
>$60,000 can be saved by institutions per month by involving a genetic counselor in the genetic testing process
The Rise In Fraudulent Genetic Tests
Nearly 29.1 million Texans are projected to benefit from the results of genetic testing. Concurrently, the national genetic testing market was estimated at $4.1 billion in 2019, and is projected to grow to $10.3 billion by 2027. Nearly 25% of all genetic tests are ordered incorrectly by clinicians who have insufficient knowledge of genetic testing. This includes the placement of orders for unwarranted, cost-ineffective, duplicate, or entirely unnecessary tests. From 2019 to 2023, inappropriate testing was the center of numerous high profile news reports in which Medicare and Medicaid were defrauded of several millions to billions of dollars for expensive genetic tests that were medically unnecessary. Licensed genetic counselors have the expertise to guide appropriate ordering of genetic testing, thereby minimizing wasteful spending and combating health care fraud and abuse.
The Importance of Licensing Genetic Counselors in Texas
Genetic counselors provide an invaluable service to patients and their families, working alongside other healthcare professionals including physician assistants, nurses and physicians, all of whom are licensed in Texas. It is important that genetic counselors in Texas be licensed to ensure that every genetic counselor practicing in the state of Texas meets minimum requirements for safe practice.
Without licensure, many genetic counselors in Texas cannot be credentialed by their employers. This makes it more difficult for medical centers or practices to hire genetic counselors, thereby making it harder for Texas genetic counselors to offer services such as telemedicine to patients who may not otherwise have access to genetics services.
References
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Survey of 90/111 TSGC members 2013
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Cases of Harm
Nearly 17.5 million Texans are projected to benefit from the results of genetic analysis. Genetic counselors are highly trained healthcare professionals who help patients and their clinicians understand and use important genetic information for health care. Inappropriate genetic testing or misinterpretation of results by clinicians who lack appropriate training and have insufficient knowledge of genetic testing could lead to adverse outcomes for patients. These include irreversible medical decisions, unwarranted medical tests and surveillance, or the failure to adopt life-saving measures. High quality genetics care is achieved by the licensing of genetic counselors and the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors (TSGC) is committed to ensuring Texans have access to high quality care surrounding genetic testing by passing a bill to licensure genetic counselors in Texas. Please help TSGC in our licensure efforts by sharing your story.