THE VALUE OF WRITTEN SUMMARIES OF GENETIC CONSULTATIONS

Many individuals who attend genetic counselling perceive themselves as having a duty to disseminate the information they obtain to other rel atives. Given that individuals often experience difficulty in recallin g the information they receive during consultations, it can be argued that there is a potential for the miscommunication of genetic informat ion within families. This study investigated women's perceptions and u se of written summaries of genetic consultations. 40 women were interv iewed following their attendance at genetic counseling for breast/ovar ian cancer, Attitudes about the written summaries and the disseminatio n of these summaries within the family are described. 92% said that th e summary aided their understanding and/or recall of information. 85% said they had used, or intended to use, the written summary to facilit ate the communication of genetic information to other biological relat ives. Some potential disadvantages of the use of written summaries of genetic consultations will also be discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.