Lack of Diversity in Genetic Counselors Could Affect Patients

African-American, Hispanic or American Indian patients undergoing genetic testing are unlikely to encounter counselors of their ethnic backgrounds, according to a review appearing in the August issue of the Journal of Genetic Counseling.

“Minorities are underrepresented in genetic counseling. It’s not a unique problem to genetics. We see it in health professions as a whole, but it’s more pronounced in the genetic counseling professions,” said lead author Ilana Mittman, Ph.D., a certified genetic counselor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Mittman’s research examined previously published data on ethnic and racial demographics in specific genetic professions and health care professions in general.”*

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