Genetic counseling in primary care. What questions are patients likely to ask, and how should they be answered?

Clues to genetic disorders are often first discovered during routine healthcare visits. This can create a dilemma for both the physician and the patient about what to do next. Because human genetics is a rapidly advancing field, many physicians are wondering which elements of a patient's medical history warrant a visit to the genetics clinic and which should be simply watched. In this article, Ms Facher and Dr Robin answer specific questions that the primary care physician is likely to have or to be asked about the evolving science of genetic testing.