Background. Advances in genetic science and biotechnology accumulated huge knowledge of genes and various genetic tests and diagnostic tools for healthcare providers including nurses. Genetic counseling became important to assist patients making decisions about obtaining genetic testing or preventive measures. Method. This review was conducted to describe the counseling topics, various interventions adopted in genetic counseling, and their effectiveness. Experimental studies ( ) published between 1999 and 2012 were synthesized. Results. The most frequently covered topic was benefits and limitations of genetic testing on breast cancer ovarian and colorectal cancers. Most of researchers focused on evaluating cognitive aspect and psychological well-being. Conclusion. No single intervention was consistently reported to be effective. Decision aids enhanced with information technologies have potential to improve the outcomes of genetic counseling by providing tailored information and facilitating active engagement of patients in information uptake. Clinical Implication. When nurses are familiar with topics and interventions of genetic counseling, they are well positioned to provide genetic/genomic information to the patient and families. 1. Introduction As advances in genetic science and biotechnology have led to discovery of the genes that increase the risk for certain common diseases, various genetic tests and other diagnostic tools have become available to healthcare providers including nurses. As a result, the knowledge base for genetic counseling has become important to all healthcare professionals in terms of assisting patients with accessing timely screening, adopting healthy behaviors, and making decisions about obtaining genetic testing or aggressive preventive measures such as mastectomy, oophorectomy, or chemotherapy [1]. In particular, genetic counseling impacted the entire nursing profession because nurses often need to provide genetic/genomic information to the patient and families in healthcare settings [2, 3]. Counseling for genetic risk deals with multilayered complicated information such as the risk for developing certain diseases and benefits and limitations of various options for predicting or preventing the diseases. Uncertainty is inherent in the information communicated during counseling, making it difficult for patients to fully understand the information provided and causing inconsistency in the perceived meaning of the provided information among patients [4–6]. Effective communication of the information on risk levels and potential
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