1. ¹Department of Medical Genetics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
2. ²Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital of Lund, Lund, Sweden
3. ³Women's Health Research, Muenster Medical School, Muenster, Germany
4. ⁴Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
5. ⁵Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
6. ⁶Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
7. ⁷National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: E Rantanen, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku 20520, Finland. Tel: +358 2 333 7250; Fax: +358 2 333 7300; E-mail: elina.rantanen@utu.fi

Received 18 December 2007; Revised 7 April 2008; Accepted 9 April 2008; Published online 14 May 2008.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to review the national regulations and practices of genetic counselling in 38 European countries, and to examine how well they intersect the ideals of genetic counselling defined in international guidelines. Using an electronic survey, representatives of the National Societies of Human Genetics in 29 countries, and appropriate contact persons for the field of genetic counselling in 9 other countries, were asked about the regulations and practices. The answers showed that consent, confidentiality, genetic counselling in the context of prenatal diagnosis, those professionals who may perform genetic counselling, and non-directiveness were the topics most often either agreed upon among professionals or regulated in those countries. These are also among the key aspects of ideal genetic counselling, based on international guidelines. Counselling in the context of susceptibility testing for multifactorial diseases, counselling people from ethnic minorities and recontacting the counsellees, on the contrary, were topics regulated or guided by generally applied practices in only few countries. Many of the answers expressed a desire for more regulation of genetic counselling, and that more uniform practices of education and organization of genetic counselling would be welcome in Europe.