Beyond Genes: Can We Truly Measure the Impact of Genetic Counselling? Demystifying Genetics with Marion McAllister

Professor Marion McAllister shares the fascinating journey of developing the Genetic Counselling Outcome Scale, a groundbreaking tool that measures patient empowerment rather than just anxiety reduction. We explore how this simple questionnaire transformed genetic counselling assessment worldwide and evolved to meet changing healthcare needs. • Creating the first standardised measure for genetic counselling outcomes based on patient-reported benefits • Translating the scale across cultures and navigating challenging concepts like the English word "condition" • Developing the shorter Genomics Outcome Scale for economic evaluations and mainstreamed genetic testing • Evolution of genetic counselling education from traditional face-to-face to blended e-learning formats • Exploring how AI could complement genetic counselling by handling routine tasks • Balancing qualitative and quantitative research methods when developing healthcare assessment tools • Reflecting on research into gender differences in genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes Join me for future episodes of Demystifying Genetics as we continue exploring the human side of genetics and genomics. Support the show Demystifying Genetics is sponsored by TrakGene https://www.trakgene.com/