Genetic Counselors and Workplace Genomic Testing

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PROJECT SUMMARY Genomic testing through workplace wellness programs, i.e., workplace genomic testing (wGT), is increasingly being offered by genomic testing vendors. Employers are thought to offer workplace wellness programs with the goal of improving employee health, and these programs may include wGT. Our NHGRI-funded R01 is analyzing the perspectives of employers and employees in this sphere to assess the ethical, legal, social, and policy implications of offering wGT. However, as genetic counselors (GCs) are healthcare professionals who are trained to interpret genetic test results and counsel individuals who have received such results, they are also key stakeholders in wGT. Indeed, GCs are anticipated to be at the interface between the wGT results and an employee's translating those results into practical healthcare benefits, and GC services are often part of wGT vendor packages. As the workplace is a relatively new area for offering genomic testing, there is an urgent need to examine GCs' perspectives. Thus, we propose to assess GCs' experiences and views using a mixed-methods approach. Toward this end, our team proposes this supplemental research project comprising two Aims. In Aim 1, we will ascertain the experiences of GCs who have counseled individuals on wGT through interviews with GCs either 1) employed by a vendor (n=10), or 2) not employed by a wGT vendor (n=10). In Aim 2, we will investigate GCs' experiences, views, and knowledge regarding wGT through a web survey assessing GCs' 1) experiences with wGT; 2) perceptions of wGT (including perceived risks and benefits of wGT); 3) related counseling experiences (including accessibility of GCs for wGT); and 4) understanding of genetic privacy and employee protections. Impact: The results from this study will reveal GCs' current experiences and views on wGT to inform our understanding of GCs' perceptions of ELSI issues of wGT in addition to their knowledge gaps of legal protections applicable to wGT.