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24 Jun 2025
Written by Dawn McGee, Director of Laboratory Genetic Services at Labcorp
Like many healthcare providers, I became a genetic counselor because of the patients. It’s all about those lightbulb moments when we can help people understand an unfamiliar scientific concept or guide a complex conversation about their health.
Genetic information is extremely personal and can have far-reaching implications for our patients and their family members. Patients who understand their genetics through testing can make more informed decisions about their health, which can lead to better outcomes and healthier lives.
Meanwhile, genetic science changes fast, with technological advances like AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants.
These changes can be daunting, and providers like you often rely on genetic counselors to bridge that gap. We stay informed and bring our cutting-edge knowledge to every conversation with a patient or provider.
Read on to learn more about the complex role genetic counselors like me play in personalized patient care.
What is a genetic counselor, and why do I need one?
A genetic counselor is a healthcare provider who’s specially trained in genetics and counseling.
We’re science geeks, but when we interact with patients, we consider the whole person, including what motivates them to undergo a genetic test, what they may be worried about and the medical decisions they might make amidst complicated emotions.
“We help guide the genetic testing journey all the way through, from family history assessments to helping patients navigate their results.”
Our advice also helps you use genetic testing to deliver more personalized care. We keep tabs on the latest research and technology. We know the newest test options, which can help us navigate insurance requirements.
What our support looks like in a clinical context can vary widely. No matter where we practice, whether that’s in your office, a testing lab or as part of a clinical trial, the patient’s journey is at the heart of what we do.
We support the entire genetic testing journey, from family history assessments to helping patients navigate their results.
The patient genetic testing journey, step by step
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Step 1: Assessing family history and educating patients
People have all sorts of reasons for pursuing genetic testing.
Examples:
- Worry over their family health history
- Symptoms that have defied a diagnosis so far
- Recent diagnosis of a condition
- Sheer curiosity
Regardless of what motivates a person to seek genetic testing, we help them understand its implications and decide if it's right for them.
Genetic counselors ask questions that help us draw a family tree and better understand each patient’s healthcare goals. If a family tree warrants genetic testing, we work with you and your patients to order the right one.
We also educate patients about genetics so that you don’t have to, which helps you and them make the most of their healthcare visits. You can help familiarize your patients with what to expect in their genetic counseling session by sharing this article.
Step 2: Choosing the right genetic test
Testing for certain genes makes the most sense in some cases. In others, testing their genome is a better course of action.
Either way, our combination of genetics expertise and attention to each patient’s mental, emotional and social needs helps you and your patients determine potential next steps.
Step 3: Interpreting genetic test results
After genetic test results come back, our role continues. We help interpret complex reports so you can make recommendations, and patients can feel confident about understanding their results.
For a patient whose family history inspired them to seek a genetic test, many health risks are polygenetic. That means they’re the result of the interplay between different gene variants, so the patient’s risk is based on variants in multiple genes. In those cases, there’s no one gene variant to look at to understand risk, so interpreting the test can be difficult.
We help make this complex test result easier to understand so patients can work with you to make informed healthcare decisions. That could include taking proactive steps like increased screenings or lifestyle changes to protect their health.
Step 4: Helping to guide potential next steps following a patient’s genetic test
Sometimes a genetic test identifies a gene variant that could run in families. As genetic counselors, we work with patients to identify other family members who could benefit from testing.
For example, if a patient’s genetic test may come back positive for a BRCA gene variant, which indicates increased risk of certain cancers like breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. In that case, other relatives might benefit from knowing if they also have an increased risk.
In other circumstances, we might order additional genetic tests when appropriate or refer patients to specialists and other support services. It all depends on the individual’s needs.
Navigating uncertainty throughout the genetic testing journey
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Sometimes genetic test results give patients a conclusive answer, and other times they receive a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) result, which means we don’t yet know if that genetic variant has health implications. Often, a VUS is completely benign, but we don’t yet know for sure.
As researchers race to understand those variants, we help you and your patients understand a VUS result and how it impacts decision-making. For example, the decision to pursue medical interventions or prevention treatments shouldn’t be determined by a VUS result.
“Think of us as translators who help make this exciting field more accessible or as bridges between you and your patients, working together to personalize care.”
We also help in other scenarios, like when a relative’s health history has motivated a patient to understand their own genetic risk. This proactive decision can help people take control of their health, but making informed decisions requires knowing what genetic tests can and can’t determine at this time. We work with you to understand those limits.
Or, for example, when a parent seeks answers for their child’s symptoms after providers have been unable to determine their cause, a genetic test could help discover if the child has a rare hereditary condition, speeding up a diagnosis. We help you navigate all the available testing options for your patients to potentially shorten the diagnostic journey.
Other ways genetic counselors can benefit healthcare providers (and help patients as a result)
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We know you’re passionate about giving patients the best care possible. You’re also pressed for time.
Two ways genetic counselors can help relieve some of that pressure that I haven’t already mentioned include:
Understanding insurance requirements
Insurance companies use evolving clinical guidelines for genetic testing to determine whether to cover a test. We can reduce the time you spend on administrative tasks associated with insurance claims.
Having strong relationships with labs
Being familiar with which labs provide fast, trustworthy results helps us make potential next steps in a healthcare journey easier.
Our expertise helps increase efficiency, saving money and time while helping you give your patients the best possible care.
Genetic counseling: The key to personalized care
Genetic science continues to advance at a fast pace, and the value of genetic counselors increases with it.
Think of us as translators who help make this exciting field more accessible or as bridges between you and your patients, working together to personalize care. We partner with you to create better outcomes and more efficient practices.
No matter why a patient seeks genetic testing or what their tests reveal, when genetic counselors collaborate with providers like you, we provide compassionate care more efficiently, to the benefit of all involved. Genetics is the future of personalized care. We’re here to help you advance it.
Learn more about genetic testing and counseling on the Labcorp website.
And read our latest report on ways to facilitate the work of genetic counselors as we advance personalized care: The Pulse of Genetic Counselors.