Genetic Counselling Services

Genetic counselling gives you information about how genetic conditions might affect you or your family. As part of this process the genetic counsellor will collect your personal and family health history. The focus is on addressing your questions, concerns around a recent genetic test result, your personal or family history of a condition and help you process the emotional impact this might have. You may also learn about how genetic testing works and decide whether it’s appropriate for you.

Genetic testing looks for changes, sometimes called mutations or variants, in your DNA. Genetic testing is useful in many areas of medicine and can change the medical care you or your family member receives. For example, genetic testing can provide a diagnosis for a genetic condition such as familial high cholesterol or information about your risk to develop cancer, or have a bad reaction to a drug. There are many different kinds of genetic tests. Genetic tests are done using a blood, saliva or cheek swab sample and results are usually ready in a few weeks. Because we share DNA with our family members, if you are found to have a genetic change, your family members may have the same change. Genetic Counselling before and after genetic testing can help make sure that you are the right person in your family to get a genetic test, you’re getting the right genetic test, and that you understand your results and it’s potential impact not only medically, but emotionally.

Absolutely! You can request a pre-test genetic counselling session for your patients. This session allows patients to discuss their concerns, understand the implications of genetic testing, and explore their options. It’s an essential step in ensuring informed decision-making.

Typically, there is no charge for patients to receive genetic counselling services, but as with many services in healthcare, coverage varies depending on the province of residence and if the person has provincial and/or private coverage. If you are a medical clinic/hospital, employer or biopharma/research organization and are interested in our services, please contact Christopher Trevors, National Director of Genetic Health Solutions at TrevorsC@dynacare.ca

Rapid Access - Through our telehealth model, your patients will have access to our nationwide team of genetic specialists with appointments available in less than one week. Our team of genetic counsellors are accessible for clinicians, via phone or email to help you.

Less stringent referral criteria – We accept referrals for many hereditary conditions commonly diagnosed/ cared for in the community that most hospital-based genetics programs do not as well as cancer referrals regardless of whether the patient meets provincial testing criteria or not.

Detailed, timely consult summaries - after each patient appointment you can expect a detailed consult summary to help guide you in follow-up care.

Expertise – Our team members are leaders in our field. We are an official training site for genetic counselling training programs from University of Toronto, McGill, University of British Columbia and University of Manitoba. In addition, we are expert members on many professional advisory committees related to genomics and collaborate with clinicians across Canada to present/ publish at academic medical conferences and medical journals.

Hereditary Cancer Screening

• Genetic counselling helps identify individuals at risk for hereditary cancers, such as breast, ovarian, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
• Results of these consultations and testing can help guide personalized screening, prevention, and treatment strategies for the patients as well as their at-risk family members.

Pharmacogenomics

• These tests analyze how an individual’s genes affect their response to medications.
• Understanding genetic variations helps tailor drug choices, dosages, and avoid adverse reactions.
• Genetic counselling can be indicated if variants tested are also related to the risk of developing a condition unrelated to why they are taking the drugs or having an affected child.

Prenatal

• Genetic counselling before or during pregnancy assesses the risk of genetic conditions for a pregnancy.
• Screening like maternal serum screening, NIPT and ultrasound along with diagnostic testing like carrier testing, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), are commonly discussed.

Fertility / Reproductive Health

• Couples can assess genetic contributions to their infertility and the risks of passing on genetic conditions to their children.
• Genetic counselling and testing may inform family planning and fertility treatment decisions.
• Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) screens embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Hemoglobinopathies and Thalassemias

• Genetic counselling before or during pregnancy assesses the risk of genetic conditions for a pregnancy.
• Helps identify at-risk family members and screening/ testing for them.

Cardiovascular Conditions

• Genetic counselling helps identify individuals at risk for hereditary cardiac conditions, such as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), familial arrythmia, familial hypertrophic/ dilated cardiomyopathy.

Results of these consultations and testing can help guide personalized screening, prevention, and treatment strategies for the patients as well as their at-risk family members.