Table 3.
Perspectives from representatives from each EU Member State regarding the ‘most important’ change that could/will be made to improve genetic counselling in their country.
| Member State | Most important change (upcoming/desired) |
|---|---|
| Austria | Increased genetics capacity (additional clinical geneticists and/or integration of genetic counsellors) |
| Belgium | Recognition of genetic counsellors as a healthcare profession |
| Bulgaria | Legislation/regulation to standardize genetic counselling practice |
| Croatia | Specialization in clinical genetics (upcoming; first residents in 2023) |
| Cyprus | Legislation/regulation to standardize genetic counselling practice |
| Czech Republic | Improved genetics education for non-genetics medical professionals |
| Denmark | More systemized adult cancer predisposition outpatient clinics |
| Estonia | Recognition of genetic counsellors as a healthcare profession & establishment of a national training program to assist with their integration |
| Finland | Increased genetics capacity and regulation to ensure genetic counselling is provided by adequately qualified professionals in the context of direct-to-consumer tests |
| France | Improved access to genetic counselling throughout France through a network of partner and referral clinics |
| Germany | Re-organization of the health system to better integrate genetic services into care pathways |
| Greece | Improved government policies and a clear framework regarding clinical/laboratory genetics specialties |
| Hungary | Increased support for genome wide testing, arrays & exomes from health insurance (i.e. increased testing options to support better counselling) |
| Ireland | Increased mainstreaming of genetic counselling (planned) |
| Italy | Recognition of genetic counsellors as a healthcare profession |
| Latvia | National regulation to standardize requirements of genetic service practice |
| Lithuania | Expansion of indications for genetic counselling |
| Luxembourg | Increased genetics capacity through recruitment of additional clinical geneticists and/or recognition and integration of genetic counsellors as a healthcare profession |
| Malta | Recognition and integration of genetic counsellors (known as ‘Genomic Care Coordinators’) as a healthcare profession (in process) |
| Netherlands | Implementation of mainstreaming and telemedicine to meet increasing demands and ensure accessibility. Implementation of genome sequencing as a first-tier test for patients with suspected rare genetic diseases |
| Poland | Introduction of genetic counsellors (planned for 2024) |
| Portugal | Recognition and integration of genetic counsellors as a healthcare profession |
| Romania | Improved genetic counselling regulation (in process) and introduction of adult cancer predisposition genetic testing (in process) |
| Slovakia | Increased genetics capacity (additional medical geneticists—planned; integration of genetic nurses—in discussion) |
| Slovenia | Integration of genetic/genomic counsellors (nurses with special training; in process) |
| Spain | Legal recognition & integration of a clinical genetics specialty |
| Sweden | Improved genetics education for non-genetics medical professionals to facilitate mainstreaming |